Morning Brief: New Flights From Toronto, What's Open/Shut Over The Holidays & More

Good morning and happy holidays— This is Alshaar, I'm filling in for Andrew today. ☕

Off The Top: Festivities have kicked in for most folks besides celebrity chef Salt Bae (Nusret Gökçe), who was banned from a U.S. soccer tournament following his invasive shenanigans after Argentina's win at the recently concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup final, in Qatar. The matter has, in fact, escalated to the extent that FIFA has launched an internal probe to address breaches of protocol post the final whistle on Sunday.

In Case You Missed It

1. Toronto's Pearson Airport Gets New Planes

As part of Porter Airlines' massive expansion plans, two Embraer E195-E2 planes were delivered to the Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week. Three more aircrafts are expected to arrive before the end of the year, as per an official statement from the company.

These new planes will eventually be part of a refreshed fleet expected to fly across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. The expansion is being highlighted by the airline's promise to bring an elevated experience to economy-class flyers, including better amenities, reports Stuart McGinn.

• What's More: Fresh food options, free Wi-Fi and added legroom on its 132-seat jets, which will not have middle seats. Porter's six new destinations for 2023 include Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Ottawa, with more originating from the Pearson Airport to be announced over the next year.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. Charlbi Dean's Cause Of Death Revealed After Sudden Demise

Actress and South African model Charlbi Dean's death was deemed as an accident by a New York City medical examiner, writes Asymina Kantorowicz for Narcity. Famed Swedish filmmaker, Ruben Östlund's recently-released movie, Triangle of Sadness was expected to be 32-year-old Dean's breakthrough role; unfortunately, she passed away a couple of months before its release.

The examiner ruled something called bacterial sepsis as the reason for Dean's sudden demise. The complication was caused by the absence of a spleen accompanied by infection from the bacteria Capnocytophaga — the germs of which are found in the mouths of people, dogs and cats.

In August, Dean's brother, Alex Jacobs had said that the actress was staying in New York with her fiancé, Luke Volker when she began experiencing "minor symptoms." She asked Volker to take her to the emergency room, where she died hours later.

• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. Here's What's Open & Closed Over The Holidays

With office holidays kicking in by the end of this week, some businesses may have reduced their hours or even closed altogether, as per Morgan Leet from B.C. It, thus, might be a good idea to check revised timings before making a shopping run or even visiting the bank.

From malls and grocery stores to liquor shops and government services, here's a complete lowdown covering Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day:

• B.C. HOLIDAY GUIDE
• ONTARIO HOLIDAY GUIDE

What Else You Need To Know Today

🇫🇷 SISTERLY IN PARIS
Lucien Laviscount, who plays Emily's love interest in the titular Emily in Paris, is back for the newly released third season of the show. He spoke to Narcity on a variety of subjects, including but not limited to how he views his producer and on-screen lover, Lily Collins as a 'big sister'.

❄️ CANADIAN TREASURE
Actor Ryan Reynolds revealed his holiday movie recommendations recently. We expected classics like A Wonderful Life or Elf on this list, but Reynolds seems to have decidedly taken a more self-centred route, making for rather unique Christmas viewings.

🎁 BOXING DAY DEALS
You can now save over $100 on an Apple Watch as part of Walmart's Boxing Day event, notes our Janice Rodrigues. The retailer's sales are in effect both online and on in-store purchases — we picked out some of the best deals here.

☃️ WHITE CHRISTMAS
And finally, the weather gods are expected to, as usual, unleash their wrath on the holidays — especially in Southern Ontario. The region could experience a snowstorm today and on Christmas Eve, as per Environment Canada's recent blizzard warning.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Finn Wolfhard, of Stranger Things fame, celebrates his 19th birthday today while one half of the famous online Corgi duo, Hammy, turns six. Former Italian supermodel Carla Bruni, who married ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy, is 55. Korean-Canadian actor Ethan Hwang, who appeared in Netflix's Umbrella Academy, marks his 17th trip around the sun.

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Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — where we celebrate holidays as enthusiastically as a famous Corgi's birthday.

Have a question or comment about today's edition? Let us know at morning-brief@narcity.com.

Have a great weekend. Kelly will see you back here on Monday!