8 Things You Need To Know For August 11

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

Off The Top: We know the real reason you like to start your day with the Canada Morning Brief — footage of three-legged alligators freaking the heck out while being wrangled away from Florida construction sites.

In Case You Missed It

1. Serena Williams Will Never Play Another Pro Match In Canada

All-time tennis legend Serena Williams played her final match ever in Canada last night, falling to Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in straight sets at the National Bank Open in Toronto. Earlier in the week, the 23-time Grand Slam champion announced she would retire following next month's U.S. Open in New York, in part due to her desire to focus on raising her family. Sameen Chaudhry has more on Williams' not-so-shocking but still earth-shaking decision.

• Her Own Words: "Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family," the 40-year-old Williams wrote in an essay for Vogue. "If I were a guy, I wouldn't be writing this because I'd be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family."
• My Take: There aren't a ton of men over 40 still competing at a high level on the tennis tour either — but hand Serena her flowers. She changed what we thought was possible for a tennis career in terms of sustained greatness.

2. Summer Ain't Over Yet; There's Still Time For An Epic Day Of Fun

Ontario really is yours to discover. Whether you're looking for high-octane fun or a spark of romance, there is no shortage of cool summer activities in the province. From rafting down a lazy river to rediscovering your inner kid at the real-life version of Mario Kart, adventure awaits. From deep inside the Narcity vault, here's our newly revised list of 11 unforgettable date ideas.

3. Amanda Seyfried Regrets Doing A Nude Scene As A Young Actress

In the wake of her star-making turn in 2004's Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfried says she wound up doing a nude scene in another film at age 19 that she regrets not pushing back against. Seyfried doesn't specify which film it was — but as our Josh Elliott writes, it sounds like she's referring to the 2006 crime flick Alpha Dog. Here's what else Seyfried had to say about the pressures young women face as they try to make it in Hollywood.

• Her Own Words: "I'm respected because I'm 36 years old and I know who the f*ck I am," the Oscar-nominated actress said of her current standing in the industry.

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What Else You Need To Know Today

🎉 HOLIDAYS
It's National Presidential Joke Day for our neighbours to the south — but since America's political happenings are practically a spectator sport up in Canada, feel free to go watch some of the famous follies from POTUSes past and present.

🤣 LAUGH IT OFF
Days after his breakup with Kim K, Pete Davidson has also broken off his upcoming appearance at Just For Laughs Toronto next month due to a "scheduling conflict." In any case, there are still plenty of acts at the Toronto leg of the event, which runs Sept. 22-Oct. 1.

✏️ SCHOOLED
The Ontario government announced that $225 million has been set aside in its budget for "direct payments to parents" to support tutoring initiatives. They're also increasing Ontario Disability Support Program payments starting next month, Alex Arsenych reports.

📌 JOB BOARD
The Canada Revenue Agency is currently hiring a bunch more auditors — and the job pays between $95K to $108K to start. However, considering the CRA recently revealed they're sitting on $1.4 billion in uncashed cheques, they might want to shore up the mailroom first.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Asgardian adonis Chris Hemsworth turns 39 today. Soft-singing Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard is 46. Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn celebrates her 54th trip around the sun. Muscular marshmallow Joe Rogan turns 55. Viola Davis is 57 (and remains one Grammy win away from completing her EGOT). Bleach-blonde blockhead Hulk Hogan is 69.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter where "scheduling conflict" typically means sobbing uncontrollably.

Where does Hemsworth fall in your Chris power rankings (alongside Evans, Pratt, Pine and Cooper)? Let me know at andrew.potter@narcity.com.

Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!