AGP Executive Report

US Open Watch: Defending champ Carlos Alcaraz and No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the last 16, setting up Alcaraz vs. Tommy Paul next. Quebec Secularism: Quebec’s expanded secularism law is forcing universities and transit agencies to shut prayer rooms and rewrite staff rules, with institutions warning about unclear enforcement. Publishing & Books: Canadian booksellers are raising alarms about AI “book shredding” tied to suspicious bulk orders. Cartography & Power: The UN backed a new “Correct the Map” standard using Equal Earth, reshaping how Africa, Europe and North America look—and how people think about global influence. Local Community Life: Hamilton and other municipal services posted Labour Day closures and schedule changes. Culture & Film: TIFF is set to host the world premiere of Hyderabad theatre director Mohammad Ali Baig’s “Chand Tara.” Sports Science: A Toronto-based researcher is helping MLB pitchers reduce career-ending elbow injuries.

Identity & Privacy: A dark-web service reportedly sold Canadian and U.S. driver’s license scans, including the infrared/ultraviolet images banks use for checks, prompting multiple class actions and FBI attention. Publishing & Bookselling: Canadian booksellers are warning about AI “book shredding” after suspicious bulk orders raise fears for inventory and print culture. TV/Streaming Romance: Heated Rivalry Season 2 keeps stacking its cast, adding Paul Gross, Kevin Zegers and Milla Jovovich, with the show drawing from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels. Sports Media: WWE contract talks are in the spotlight again, with reports on pay-cut requests to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. Community Reading: Libraries and local groups are pushing events and staged readings tied to major anniversaries, including a Sept. 11 benefit performance at a Tamaqua library. Arts & Culture: The fall movie slate is ramping up, with major releases and TIFF buzz driving attention to book-to-screen adaptation chatter.

Canadian Publishing & Booksellers: Canadian booksellers are raising alarms about AI “book shredding” tied to suspicious bulk orders, warning it could disrupt inventory and livelihoods. Indigenous Rights & Reading: A new Tyee Podcast episode revisits the Cowichan decision and argues Indigenous title can coexist with private property—pushing back on fears that it means homes will be lost. Culture & Media (Canada): The University of Toronto’s Jeffrey Rosenthal and colleagues examine superstition around Friday the 13th and full moons, using probability to debunk “bad luck” myths. Arts Calendar (Vancouver): Culture Queue spotlights September events across film, visual arts, theatre, music and community, including the Vancouver Queer Film Festival. Tech & Publishing Workflow: A student newsroom describes how it uses Google Drive plus Wagtail, and why editors want better tools for fast, collaborative publishing. Cybersecurity: Thomson Reuters says an unauthorized party accessed sensitive files tied to its C-Track court platform, affecting Ontario court records. Local Book/Community Events: A Simcoe County author is promoting a new book at a weekend event, with more local programming listed for libraries and community spaces.

Canadian Currency Update: The Bank of Canada unveiled the final design of the new $20 bill featuring King Charles III, with a shifting security strip and other anti-counterfeiting upgrades set to enter circulation in early 2027. Trade & Agriculture: With U.S. sales halted by a new 50% tariff on Canadian honey, beekeepers are pivoting to the domestic market as Ottawa prepares matching counter-tariffs. Publishing & Books: Michelle Good’s Eliza Sunshine tops this week’s Canadian fiction list, while Cory Doctorow’s The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI stays No. 1 in Canadian nonfiction for a 10th straight week. Screen & Storytelling: Crave/HBO Max’s Heated Rivalry adds Kevin Zegers, Paul Gross and Milla Jovovich for season 2, based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. Tech & Security: An ID verification breach is under investigation after scans of about 150 million U.S. and Canadian documents surfaced on a Russian dark web forum. Arts & Culture: Polaris Music Prize’s festival heads to Sudbury for a Northern Sound Exchange event at Knox Hall on Sept. 4.

Streaming & Adaptations: Netflix is set to debut its limited-series take on John Steinbeck’s East of Eden this October, with Florence Pugh leading a multi-generational retelling that’s already drawing debate over how much a seven-episode run can capture. Montreal & Academia: Former mayor Valérie Plante is joining Université de Montréal as a guest expert, lecturing and mentoring in public affairs and international policy. AI, Art & Archives: Colombian filmmakers Bibiana Rojas Gómez and Juan David Cárdenas bring “audiovisual anarchivism” to The End of Times, a hybrid documentary premiering at Venice Critics’ Week that blends family recordings with AI and fiction. Canadian Publishing/Media Business: Amazon Kids+ has picked up Do Not Watch This Show for the US and Canada, based on Andy Lee’s book series. Tech & Privacy: Thomson Reuters says an unauthorized party accessed backup files tied to its C-Track case management system, affecting court records in multiple US states and Canada. Climate: UN-backed reporting warns the world is set to overshoot the Paris 1.5°C goal and that fossil-fuel phaseout may be understated.

Canadian Publishing & Books: Canadian thriller author Linwood Barclay’s new novel “Not a Word” leads the Toronto Star fiction bestseller lists, while Jennifer Hillier’s “Heart of Glass” and Liane Moriarty’s “Big Little Truths” also land high on Canadian and original fiction rankings. History Prize: Toronto author Jonathan Cheng and University of Toronto professor Eric T. Jennings are shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize (Cheng for “Korean Messiah,” Jennings for “Vanilla”). Indigenous & Community Reading: A new children’s book initiative and literacy push continues to ripple through Canada, including local coverage of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library impact. AI & Copyright in Canada’s Music World: SOCAN has sued Suno in Federal Court, alleging the AI music platform copied human-created songs without consent or compensation. Film/TV with Canadian ties: Crave’s Owen Hart documentary is headed to film festivals after a London screening, and the hockey drama “Heated Rivalry” filmed in London, Ontario-area locations. Comics & Zines: Winnipeg’s Prairie Comics Festival returns for its 10th anniversary, spotlighting independent creators and panels on comics and social change.

Canada–U.S. trade tensions: An Indiana opinion piece argues the “trade war” with Canada is misguided, citing big export losses after Trump’s tariff push. Workplace rights: Ford will pay $2.3M to settle race and national-origin harassment claims at its Buffalo Stamping Plant, with training and security upgrades. Alberta politics: Mail-in ballots went out for Alberta’s Oct. 19 referendum on staying in Canada, alongside immigration and health-care access questions; polling shows immigration measures far outpacing separation. Health-care staffing: Ontario faces long ultrasound wait times as a sonographer shortage drives delays and burnout, with vacancy and retention concerns flagged by industry groups. Books & culture: VIFF returns Oct. 1–11 with 162 features and a strong Asian cinema lineup, including manga adaptation Look Back and premieres across multiple countries. Literary community: An Oxford author’s family-history project reconnects him with Saskatchewan relatives near Conquest. Indigenous arts: Melody McArthur expands her storytelling across music, theatre, and justice, including recent Ottawa performances.

Vancouver Book Award: Ladysmith’s Ruby Smith Diaz and UVic grad Garth Mullins made the shortlist for the Vancouver Book Award, with $3,000 prize money and a Nov. 21 winner announcement at Vancouver Public Library. Publishing & books: A new children’s book, Tuutarjuk: The Spirit of String Figures, brings Inuit string-game lore to ages 9–13, while Toronto’s Dundurn Press will publish Janice Hobbs Martell’s Dusted: The Men of the McIntyre Powder Experiment in April 2027. Media policy: Quebec’s “pay by bank” shift is driving more checkout payments via firms like PayDirectNow, and California lawmakers advanced refundable tax credits aimed at keeping local newsrooms staffed. Tech & regulation: At a G20 meeting, the U.S. pushed the “Carolina Principles” to avoid new AI rules, while Canada’s broader AI debate continues to focus on adoption and oversight. Industry news: Bombardier agreed to acquire MHI Canada Aerospace assets in Mississauga, adding aerostructure capacity and about 750 employees.

Used-book trade under AI pressure: Canadian booksellers are dealing with “mysterious” bulk orders amid fears companies are buying physical titles to scan and then destroy them for AI training, after U.S. reporting tied destructive book scanning to Anthropic-style efforts. TIFF 2026 spotlight: A Canadian film adaptation of David Bezmozgis’s “The Betrayers” is among the homegrown projects lined up for Toronto International Film Festival, with directors pointing to how shifting geopolitics keeps stories newly relevant. Fall reading list: CBC Books rounds up must-read Canadian nonfiction for the season, including memoirs and essay collections from major names. Vancouver’s colonial reckoning: The Museum of Vancouver highlights decolonial exhibits tied to the city’s colonial past and Indigenous land history. Sports-to-books crossover: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library continues to expand in Canada through library partnerships, keeping free books in kids’ hands.

Literacy & Libraries: Edmonton Public Library is leaning hard into Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library via its Ready. Set. Read! partnership, with kids calling the monthly mailings “Dolly’s books.” Community Reading: Wood Buffalo is launching its first Read Across Wood Buffalo Day on Sept. 25, inviting schools, libraries, bookstores and families to host readings, author visits and exchanges. Publishing/Books & Culture: Plenitude Magazine’s Summer Poetry Contest is underway, with judge Misha Solomon discussing poetry as a queer art form ahead of a Sept. 21 deadline. Local Governance: Kelowna’s 2026 local election nomination period opens Sept. 1, with paperwork due Sept. 11 and deposits required. Environment & Conservation: Alberta unveiled a new conservation licence plate, with proceeds earmarked for fish and wildlife enhancement through the Alberta Conservation Association. Public Safety Tech: Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service is rolling out automated licence plate readers to help identify vehicles tied to specific alerts.

Federal Politics: Voters head to the polls Monday for three federal byelections in Ontario (Beaches–East York), Quebec (Chicoutimi–Le Fjord) and B.C. (North Vancouver–Capilano), with the Quebec race expected to be the tightest as the Liberals and Bloc vie to replace former Conservative MP Richard Martel. AI & Media: Two 1960s media theorists are being dusted off to explain where generative AI is taking us, framing AI as a new kind of medium rather than just a tool. Books & Culture: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is spotlighted for its global push to get free books into kids’ hands, including in Canada since 2006. Publishing/Arts Industry: SOCAN’s plan to acquire CMRRA is framed as a major shift for how Canadian gospel artists collect reproduction royalties. Canada–U.S. Tensions: Google Maps updates Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for U.S. users, while Mapquest says it won’t follow. Health & Care: New research argues deprescribing guidance needs to be as practical as prescribing—so clinicians actually use it.

Canada-U.S. Trade Tensions: Maine Gov. Janet Mills published an Op-Ed in the Toronto Star urging Canadians to push Washington to de-escalate Trump’s trade war, warning tariffs will hit border businesses and jobs. Mapping Politics: After Trump renamed Lake Ontario “Lake America,” Google Maps updated for U.S. users, while Mapquest refused to change and offered custom-name tools instead. Media Language Row: A CBC memo telling staff not to call 9/11 “terrorist” sparked backlash; CBC later adjusted guidance for 9/11 wording. Toronto Health & Housing: TCHC says there are no documented health concerns from contaminants at the Swansea Mews site as demolition proceeds. Indigenous Power Plan Blocked: The U.S. DOE halted a proposed tribal transmission corridor meant to bring reservation power to market, citing reliability and cost concerns. Mental Health Treatment: A look at ketamine clinics and the debate over how well ketamine works for treatment-resistant depression. Bookworld Canada angle: Local reading culture: North Bay’s Greg the Band released its debut album “Going Up?” and played the Bay Block Party—another reminder of how Canadian arts communities keep building.

Canada’s defence push: A Toronto garment factory is one example of Canadian firms moving into defence contracting as Ottawa aims to reduce reliance on U.S. suppliers amid tariff tensions and a new defence industrial strategy. Tech & consumer gear: Asus has started selling a refreshed Vivobook 15 in Canada with Intel’s Wildcat Lake chips, undercutting the 15-inch MacBook Air M5 while adding ports. CPP planning: A Canada-focused explainer argues the best time to start collecting CPP depends on more than age—income needs, health, and other retirement resources matter. Streaming spotlight: The Arctic-set British thriller “Vigil” returns for season 3, with guides on where to watch online (including free options in the U.K.). Ontario identity fight: Doug Ford unveiled a “Lake Ontario. Now and Always” sign after Trump’s “Lake America” executive order. Publishing & books: A Canadian author’s memoir on grief, “Dear Aaron,” is highlighted ahead of National Grief Awareness Day.

Canada-U.S. Trade Tensions: A fresh wave of commentary and retaliation continues as the U.S. presses Canada on trade terms and Canada hits back with tariffs, keeping the dispute front and centre for both economies. Sovereignty & Politics: Columnists argue the fight is really about Canadian autonomy, while others warn it’s hurting builders, consumers, and broader stability. Privacy & Search Rights: Canada’s privacy commissioner is asking the Federal Court to force Google to remove specific search results tied to a dropped criminal charge, after Google refused to follow the watchdog’s recommendations. Publishing & Reading Events: CollingWord returns to the Collingwood Public Library for its third year, bringing authors and panels to South Georgian Bay. Local Governance: A BC byelection has been called for Abbotsford-Mission after the MLA seat became vacant. Tech for Creators: Vancouver’s Jukebox Print expands its free background-removal tool with larger uploads and built-in upscaling. Culture & Books: Dolly Parton’s literacy push continues to be highlighted across Canada, reinforcing the “Book Lady” impact on children’s reading.

Canada–U.S. Trade Shock: Tariffs and uncertainty are rippling into the auto sector, with warnings of higher vehicle prices and potential plant/job impacts as Ottawa and Washington spar over deal terms. Energy & Pipelines: Trans Mountain is pushing ahead with a major pipeline optimization plan aimed at boosting oil exports to Asia, even as the trade fight tightens. Publishing & Books: University of Regina Press spotlights Indigenous women administrators in Tricky Grounds, examining how Indigenizing policies are undermined in Canadian universities. Literary Culture: A new Dolly Parton Imagination Library push is bringing age-based books by mail to families in Canada’s communities, including a B.C. capital-area program. Media/Entertainment: Prime Video’s God of War live-action recasts Kratos with Dave Bautista after a Vancouver filming injury. Games/Steam: Tiny Roar’s life-sim Lou’s Lagoon launches on Steam with a short discount. Climate Risk: Nepal’s glacier collapse is framed as a warning about rapidly changing, cross-border climate hazards.

Trade War Fallout for Producers: Saskatchewan’s farmers’ group APAS says Canada must protect agricultural inputs as Ottawa matches U.S. retaliatory tariffs, warning a 50% hit to honey could close the U.S. market and pressure Canadian prices. Canada–U.S. Escalation: The broader tariff fight is widening across goods like dairy, machinery and steel, with counter-tariffs set to begin Sept. 8. Literary & Publishing Spotlight: McClelland & Stewart’s poetry editor Canisia Lubrin is highlighted ahead of her debut fiction work, while MFA for Poets and Writers announces its Fall ’26 visiting writers series. Community Reading & Literacy: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library continues to expand across countries, with renewed attention after her death and calls for donations to keep the book program going. Arts & Culture: Remigio Pereira returns to Niagara for a Sept. 17 show, and a new children’s book initiative in Alberta backs reading confidence. Bookworld Canada Picks: Watch for local author events and award shortlists as the fall publishing season ramps up.