8 Things You Need To Know For August 17

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

And joining me this morning is Kelly Asselin-Tousignant from our copy desk.

Off The Top: Florida has earned a reputation as a lawless den of hedonism, strip-mall shooting ranges and large, toothy reptiles. And if that wasn't enough, Jenna Kelley notes that the Sunshine State is also home to the deadliest tree on the planet.

In Case You Missed It

1. Rents Are Skyrocketing & The Deals Are Harder To Find

The average price of rent in Toronto has soared by a whopping 24% since last July — but the 416 isn't the only place in the White Trillium province with daunting lease rates. According to a recent report, Ontario rent prices are now up 15% across the board over last year for a lofty average of $2,332 per month, the second highest rate in the country. Alex Arsenych has more on the latest rental trends.

• Better deal: Perhaps it's time to move westward to Lloydminster, Alberta, or Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where the average price for a two-bedroom is just $977 and $1,153, respectively. Tristan Wheeler breaks down other affordable Canadian cities.

2. The Never-Ending Story Of Canada's Travel Restrictions

Despite your calendar telling you it's 2022, the impact of pandemic measures on international travel could be felt a while longer. While Canada is supposed to lift its current travel restrictions — like random COVID-19 testing upon arrival — on Sept. 30, the feds might extend the rules, Helena Hanson reports. Yes, another extension.

• What Else? As tempting as it may be to bypass the passport renewal line by faking upcoming travel plans, doing so is not recommended. Seriously, don't be the person who causes further backlog in the system.

3. Down With The Limpness: How To Approach The Erection Question

In our latest edition of Cheaper Than Therapy, a reader asks how to handle a husband who refuses to have his erectile dysfunction clinically evaluated. In conversation with sex, family and relationship therapist Jenifer Smith, Narcity's own Brooke Houghton got to the bottom of the E.D. question — from the far-ranging impacts of performance anxiety to the best strategies for broaching the subject in a constructive way.

• Miss Something? You can find our previous edition of Cheaper Than Therapy right here.

HEY YOU! You should sign up for the email version of the Canada Morning Brief right here. It's better than this version. Trust me.

What Else You Need To Know Today

🎉 HOLIDAYS
Out with the superstitions and in with the love; bestow your feline friends with treats and cuddles for Black Cat Appreciation Day — which also serves as the purr-fect reminder that Halloween is officially 75 days away.

🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
Dreaming of getting onto the real estate ladder? This Sarnia home could be your saving grace in obtaining a fair price for a roomy dwelling. Madeline Forsyth details this massive, nearly 20-room residence with a current listing price of only $625K.

🥵 HOT STUFF
Narcity associate editor Janice Rodrigues made a huge mistake after moving to Toronto after years in Dubai. Expecting snow, she dumped her summer wardrobe — and her underestimation of Canada's summer weather didn't stop there. Read her column here.

📌 JOB BOARD
Imagine kayaking on your lunch break; that's just part and parcel of working from home in Vancouver. Greg Bowman scoured the current job postings and found six B.C.-based remote jobs that pay upward of $100K a year.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Gucci-clad gangster Lil Pump turns 22 today. What if I told you it's Phoebe Bridgers' 28th Birthday (but we never met)? Soccer all-timer and former Montreal Impact manager Thierry Henry is 45. Old kid on the block/ersatz burger baron Donnie Wahlberg is 53. Trailblazing street-style skateboarder Rodney Mullen is 56. Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes is 73.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — and remember: clinical trials linking this newsletter with male virility have proven inconclusive to date.

Let me know which Phoebe Bridgers song leaves you the most despondent at andrew.potter@narcity.com.

Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!