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Calgary Opera replaces performer who unfurled Palestinian flag during 'Tosca' bow
Calgary Opera replaces singer over Palestine flag
The Calgary Opera has replaced a performer who unfurled a Palestinian flag during the curtain call of the political opera “Tosca.”
On Friday, the bass singer Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega held up the flag at the end of Giacomo Puccini’s drama about love and betrayal during political upheaval in Napoleonic Rome.
In a statement issued Sunday, the Calgary Opera called the action “unexpected and unauthorized,” adding that individual political protest violated company policy.
The institution apologized for the “discomfort and distress” some may have felt and said Sanchez-Ortega’s role will be performed by another artist for the remainder of the shows.
Sanchez-Ortega played a character named Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner.
In an Instagram story, Sanchez-Ortega wrote that he had “no regrets” and that “this is the state of cultural institutions in Canada.”
The Calgary Opera and Sanchez-Ortega did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In its statement about the Oct. 16 performance, the Opera said individual political protest contravenes its "responsibility to create a more connected, caring and civil society through shared artistic experiences.”
Sanchez-Ortega said he holds no resentment.
“After the theatre, (political or otherwise) we all have to go home, and look at ourselves in the mirror,” Sanchez-Ortega continued in his statement.
“It was my honour to play the role of Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.
By Alex Nino Gheciu | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Man charged in hit-and-run crash that left woman dead in Vaughan, Ont.
Man charged in fatal hit and run in Vaughan, Ont.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
Police say they have identified and charged the alleged driver of a van that struck a woman whose body went undiscovered on the roadside for two days in Vaughan, Ont.
York regional police say the woman was walking on Pine Valley Drive around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 when she was hit by a vehicle that then left the scene.
They say a passerby noticed a suitcase on the road belonging to the woman, who was a live-in caregiver, two days later and then found her body in the grass.
After releasing security footage of the suspect vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, police say they've laid a charge in the case.
They say a 41-year-old man from Vaughan was charged on Friday with failure to stop after an accident resulting in death.
Investigators say the suspect vehicle is still outstanding and anyone who may have information about it, or has done repairs on the van, is urged to come forward.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Stellantis workers give union authorization to strike as talks with automaker stalled
Stellantis workers endorse strike mandate
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan
Stellantis workers in Canada have voted to give their union a mandate to strike.
Unifor says 97.3 per cent of members who took part in the vote over the weekend were in favour of authorizing a potential strike.
The union is not yet in a legal strike position as neither it nor Stellantis have requested a “no board” report, which is one of the steps necessary under labour law required for a job action.
Unifor, which represents more than 9,000 Stellantis workers in Canada, said it still believes there is a path to reaching a new collective agreement with Stellantis "so long as the company honours its commitments and does right by its workers."
“Strike action is always a last resort, but we will not back down and accept a deal that weakens Stellantis’ footprint within Canada’s auto industry due to broken commitments that further cause devastation for our members, families and communities that rely on good union auto jobs," said James Stewart, Unifor's Stellantis master bargaining chairperson.
The previous collective agreement between Stellantis and the union expired Sept. 20 without the two sides coming to terms on a new tentative deal.
The union's bargaining committee and the company are at an impasse over several key issues, including job security and the future of the idled Brampton, Ont., assembly plant Stellantis wants to sell.
In response to the Unifor vote, Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin reiterated the company's previous statement that it hopes to return to the bargaining table.
"Stellantis remains committed to bargaining in good faith and is prepared to continue discussions toward a negotiated agreement that recognizes the contributions of our employees while supporting the long-term competitiveness of our Canadian operations," she said.
Talks came to a standstill on Sept. 11 when Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding with defence contractor Roshel for a potential sale of the Brampton facility.
More than 2,000 workers were laid off from the Brampton plant when it halted operations in 2023.
The facility had been slated to be retooled for Jeep production, a process that began early in 2024, before the company paused the plan in early 2025. It later announced it was moving production of the Jeep Compass to Illinois, leaving the plant idled indefinitely.
The union has written to federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly urging the government to block the potential sale and clarify whether the MOU breached Stellantis' previous commitments to Ottawa.
Unifor ratified new collective agreements with Ford Motor Co. and General Motors in Canada during the summer, as part of its pattern bargaining process with each of the Detroit Three.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.
By Sammy Hudes | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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