8 Things You Need To Know For August 29

Good morning; sorry about it being Monday — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

Off The Top: Harry Potter actor Matthew Lewis dubbed Air Canada the "worst airline in North America" after a decidedly unmagical experience en route to Toronto. Kids, that's why you never neglect to make the lease payments on your broomstick.

In Case You Missed It

1. The Deputy PM Responds After Facing Intimidation In Alberta

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland responded to a viral clip of being vulgarly and aggressively accosted by a man on a visit to Alberta last week, calling the actions "wrong" and adding that "nobody, anywhere, should have to put up with threats and intimidation." According to Sarah Rohoman, the unsettling incident prompted both political allies and adversaries to support the Liberal MP, decrying the menacing behaviour she faced. Read more about the episode here.

• Context: Freeland was born in Peace River, Alberta, about a two-hour drive southeast of where she was visiting in Grand Prairie.
• Her Own Words: "I'm proud to be from Alberta," Freeland wrote. "And I am very happy to be spending a few days in the Peace Country. I'm going to keep coming back because Alberta is home, and because I want to keep meeting with Albertans from across this great province and visiting my family and friends here."

2. What To Know About Toronto's Meningococcal Disease Outbreak

Toronto Public Health is sounding the alarm on the spread of a "very rare, but serious" illness across the city — one that has disproportionately afflicted young adults, Alex Arsenych reports. As of August 25, there were three cases of meningococcal disease discovered in the city, resulting in one death thus far. The illnesses caused by the disease can impact the lining of the brain, spinal cord and bloodstream. Here's what else you need to know.

• Go Deeper: All three cases involved people who were born outside Canada in countries that didn't provide childhood meningococcal immunizations. TPH is advising Torontonians ages 20-36 who didn't receive that particular shot as kids to get vaxxed ASAP.

3. What The Numbers Say About Canada's New Tipping Habits

There's how much people think they should tip in theory and then there's how much Canadians are actually tipping. According to a study by Restaurants Canada, 44% of Canadians are now leaving higher gratuities than the going rate prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Women (47%) and those over 55 (49%) in particular have upped their generosity and Ontario has topped all provinces with an average tip of 18.9%, Helena Hanson reports. Click here to see how the other provinces stack up.

• Opinion: Our Janice Rodrigues spent many years living in Dubai before moving to Toronto earlier this year. Here are the four things about Canadian tipping culture that completely blew her socks off.

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What Else You Need To Know Today

🎉 HOLIDAYS
August 29 marks both National Lemon Juice Day and something called More Herbs, Less Salt Day. I'll be marking the occasion by enjoying a simple salmon dinner: mix olive oil, chopped parsley and pepper; coat the fish liberally; bake at 425 Fahrenheit for 12 minutes; salt to taste. Easy peasy.

🔦 CAVE RAVE
There's only about six hours between low tide and high tide at the Bay of Fundy — which means if you don't time your adventure right, you will quickly find yourself under as many as 38 feet of water. Katherine Caspersz has the deets on the must-see Maritime attraction.

🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
If you've got just under $1 million gathering cobwebs, why not consider this stunning 2,080-square foot lakeside home on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island? With massive bay windows, you'll have no trouble surveying 850 feet of sandy, private shoreline.

📌 JOB BOARD
Surprisingly, you don't need a university degree to work at Google. In fact, as Lisa Belmonte points out, you don't even necessarily need to go into an office these days. From data centre technicians to video account executives, here are seven jobs the global tech behemoth is looking to fill in Canada.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Top-five One Direction member Liam Payne celebrates his Champagne Birthday today. Universally beloved Glee alumna Lea Michele is 36. Canadian pop-rocker Amanda Marshall has hit the half-century mark. Celestial tour guide Chris Hadfield turns 63. The late King of Pop, Michael Jackson would have been 64 years old today. The wonderful actor Elliott Gould turns 84.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — didn't think you were going to get an Elliott Gould name-drop to start the week, did ya?

Let me know where Ocean's 11 ranks in the Steven Soderbergh canon at andrew.potter@narcity.com or pester me on Twitter if you'd prefer at @andrewjoepotter.

Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!