Page 122 - 2020

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD
After 13 years as leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May resigned her position following the 2019 federal election. May, who turned 65 that year, said she promised her daughter the election would be her last as party leader- though she didn't rule out another run as an MP. May, the first member of the party to win a seat in the House of Commons, said she planned to stay engaged in federal pol - itics, especially in regard to the Green Party's foundational climate issues. Although the party had the best federal showing in its history, winning three seats, it remains far from the 12 seats required for official party status.
TOO MUCH ADVENTURE
Kristian Baxter, a 44-year-old Nanaimo, B.C., native, was looking to have an adventure when he visited Syria-a country that has been undergoing a civil
war for nearly a decade-in November 2018. Baxter initially made contact with his mother back home on a daily basis, but went silent within a week of his arrival.
It was soon discovered that he was being detained by local authorities for "violating Syrian laws." (Some accounts suggested he had been arrested for travelling with a metal detector, an item forbidden in the country.) Canadian diplomats worked closely with the Lebanese government to secure Baxter's release, which finally happened in AUgUSt 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
On January 8, 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, announced plans to step back from their working roles in Britain's royal family. Initial reports claimed Queen Elizabeth was caught off guard by the announcement- which came in the form of an lnstagram post from the couple, not through official royal channels. On January 18, the couple further revealed they had agreed to stop using their royal titles and move-potentially to Canada. Prince Harry has expressed wishes to keep his family out of the spotlight and away from the media circus that claimed the life of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.