Morning Brief: The Death Of A Rising TV Star, An 80-Hour Winter Storm & More

Happy "Friday Jr." — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: Toronto-based rapper Drake recently showed off his new and, uh, unique piece of jewelry: a necklace fashioned from 42 engagement rings the bachelor purportedly commissioned but never actually presented to his various companions over the years. The piece, fittingly called "Previous Engagements," features over 350 combined carats and is mounted in 18K of white gold — quite obviously more expensive than just nailing down a weekly check-in with a good therapist.

In Case You Missed It

1. The 80-Hour Snowstorm That Could Dump Up To Half A Metre Of Snow On Canada

Brace yourself; winter is coming. Heavy snowfall is expected to continue across a 1,000-kilometre span from Saskatchewan to Ontario, Lisa Belmonte reports. Weary shovelers in the Prairies have already started to see the white stuff pile up Tuesday and Wednesday, with a further deluge of as much as 50 centimetres of snow hitting northwestern Ontario through Friday. Furthermore, parts of western Canada will see "extremely frigid temperatures," with daytime highs as low as -20 C before even accounting for the windchill.

• Update: At present, most of Southwestern Ontario is also facing weather advisories. Toronto will face freezing rain through the morning followed by 10-15 centimetres of snow mixed plus strong winds of up to 70 km/h. Ottawa has a snowfall warning in effect as they're expecting 15-25 centimetres of snow by early Saturday.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. Beloved Dancer & Actor Stephen 'tWitch' Boss Has Died At 40 Years Old

Stephen Boss, known by the stage name "tWitch," died at age 40 on Tuesday, shocking fans of the rising screen talent. Boss initially charmed audiences as both a multi-time contestant and later a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. That breakout led to stints as the in-house DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and appearances in Hollywood films like Magic Mike XXL, Asymina Kantorowicz notes.

• In Her Words: "Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans," his wife, Allison Holker Boss, said in a statement to People.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. Two Canadian Winter Wonderlands Are Among The World's Best Vacation Spots

The U.S. News & World Report released its ranking of the 21 best winter vacation spots in the world and, despite the fact that the country is being bludgeoned left to right by snow and ice, we managed to claim two spots on the list. Coming in at No. 11 is Quebec City — a cobblestone-lover's dream even if you can hardly feel your feet. Then there's Whistler; the haven for downhill enthusiasts came in at No. 18 on the list, behind other ski towns like Jackson Hole (No. 15) and Lake Tahoe (No. 17) but ahead of Park City (No. 20). Katherine Caspersz takes us through the entire list.

• Go Deeper: The top spot on the list is the perfect antidote to inclement weather. Honolulu in Hawaii came in at No. 1; sure, you may have to square up the occasional volcano but at least you won't have to worry about snow.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Potter's Peculiar Picks

QE Home logo.Courtesy QE Home

THE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE by QE HOME

We're in the home stretch for gift season. If you still haven't figured out what to get the most challenging gift recipient on your list, there's no need to check twice; no one should complain about getting a cozy, fleecy throw blanket. QE Home has a bunch of fun styles for under $30 — and many of them are buy one, get one 50% off, so feel free to pick out something for yourself while you're at it. CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE GUIDE HERE.

Note: Buying through the above link may result in a small commission for Narcity.

What Else You Need To Know Today

🎸 BEST FEST
Esteemed Montreal music festival Osheaga announced its headliners for the big showcase at Parc Jean-Drapeau next August. Australian dance group Rüfüs Du Sol will get things started on Friday, August 4, Billie Eilish will hold down the fort on Saturday night, and 2015 headliner Kendrick Lamar will close it all down on Sunday, August 6. MTL Blog's Charlotte Hoareau breaks it down for us.

🍝 ENVIOUS EATS
Vancouver is home to some of best restaurants in the country — to the point that they received their very first Michelin Guide earlier this year. It's also home to some completely fine fast-casual restaurant chains where any longtime West Coaster has probably spent countless hours. From White Spot to Cactus Club, here are seven restaurants that our Ashley Harris couldn't live without.

⛷️ MOUNTAIN MISHAP
A ski resort in Quebec is investigating a scary incident from over the weekend. According to MTL Blog's Thomas MacDonald, a lift gondola at Mont Sainte-Anne disconnected from its cable while returning back downhill, falling to the ground. Nobody was hurt but the situation prompted the resort to close for the remainder of the weekend. Yikes.

📌 JOB BOARD
In an age of over-education, many employers seem to be placing more value in a potential candidate's hands-on work experience rather than education level. Madeline Forsyth scoured the job boards and found seven Toronto postings that don't require a post-secondary degree — some of which pay up to $225K. From a role with the Blue Jays to being a butler, check out the full list here.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Euphoria's Maude Apatow (of Judd and Leslie Mann) turns 25 years old today. Daredevil actor Charlie Cox hits the big 4-0. O.C. hunk Adam Brody is 43. Former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison hits the half-century mark. The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock is 66. Former Clash bassist Paul Simonon is 67. Don Johnson is racing a speedboat straight to 73. American oilman Jean Paul Getty Sr. was born on this day in 1892. The debaucherous Roman emperor Nero was born on this day in AD 37.

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Thanks for reading Narcity'sCanada Morning Brief — the newsletter that (barring sponsorship) is decidedly not powered by White Spot.

Have a question or comment about today's edition? Let me know at andrew.potter@narcity.com or hit me up on Twitter if you'd prefer at @andrewjoepotter.

Have a great day and I will see you back here tomorrow to round out the week!