Morning Brief: A Services Ontario Overhaul, Supporting Black-Owned Businesses & More

We did it. TGIF. Pat yourself on the back — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: Cops in Ontario's York Region are looking for answers after security footage from Vaughan Mills mall showed a high-end car brazenly ramming straight through the locked doors in the middle of the night, speeding around the inside of the mall, robbing an electronics store, then high-tailing it out of there by blasting through a second set of locked doors like a scene from The Italian Job.

In completely unrelated news, if you're looking for a great deal on a brand-new stereo system, give me a shout!

In Case You Missed It

Are There Places Where Children Can't Live?

The TikToker ranting about wanting an 'adults-only' suburb.

soybabie__ | TikTok

Imagine walking outside your home and hearing kids joyfully playing in the street. For some, evidently, that scene is the stuff of nightmares! An Australian TikToker named Baby Soja has ignited a debate about the lack of adult-only spaces in public after her day at the pool was interrupted by unruly children. Obviously, more than a handful of people called the poster out for the obvious — that she too was a child once herself. However, others agreed it would be nice to have a few more adult-oriented spaces that weren't entirely linked to alcohol or nighttime, Sameen Chaudhry notes.

• In Her Words: "I just feel like for people like me who are evil and hate kids, we should have our own suburb where we can just be quiet and undisturbed," said the TikToker, tongue presumably somewhat in cheek.
• My Take: I recently read a New Yorker story about a Jimmy Buffet-themed quasi-retirement community in Florida (yes, it's called Margaritaville), and somehow that sounds 10 times worse than occasionally being in the vicinity of children.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Which Canadian Businesses Are Black-Owned?

Person after a hair treatment at The Curl Lounge. Right: Box of Jamaican patties from Elbo Jamaican Patties.

@the.curl.lounge | Instagram, @elbo_patties | Instagram

If you're looking for a new way to engage with Canada's wealth of Black culture during Black History Month, a good place to start is Black Business Direct. Launched in 2021 by the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce, it's a national directory of over 1,000 Black-owned businesses across the country. It's obviously not inclusive of every Black-owned business but you'll find an incredible cross-section of businesses, from food and hospitality to marketing and tech. Lisa Belmonte points out some of the highlights well worth a visit.

• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Which ServiceOntario Services Are Available Online?

Doug Ford at Service Ontario in Brampton. Right: ServiceOntario.

Premier of Ontario | YouTube, Colin Temple | Dreamstime

Say goodbye to waiting in line with the hoi polloi — well, for a wide range of ServiceOntario services, anyway. Premier Doug Ford announced that the province will be taking a step toward the digital age with a new booking system that will allow Ontarians to renew their license plate, driver's license, accessible permit card, Ontario photo card and health card online — and more services are expected to be tested out eventually, too. Brooke Houghton rounds up the details for us.

• My Take: Wait... this was something we could've just... had? Why wasn't this new booking tech implemented 15 years ago? Anyway, better late than never.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

✈️ PLANE SHAME
If you purchased a flight to Europe this summer on WestJet... er, you better check that booking. Chalking the decision up to "capacity constraints," Canada's second-largest airline has suspended summer service to the continent from Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax. Stuart McGinn walks us through some of the alternative flight options available to Canadians.

⚰️ GROUNDHOG DIE
Imagine spending an entire year preparing for your big work presentation — then perishing immediately before the action starts. That's pretty much what happened with Quebec's resident rodent in charge of spring weather prognostications; before officials could note whether he had seen his shadow, Fred la Marmotte was found dead in his enclosure yesterday, Groundhog Day, MTL Blog's Sofia Misenheimer writes.

👮 COP-TROVERSIAL
Perhaps a sign that people glued to their phones and computers should unplug and go for a walk outside once in a while, a TikTok video by the Toronto Police Service's Parking Enforcement Officer has gone viral. The reason? Viewers are split over whether the parking cop was right to fine a truck driver $150 for parking smack-dab in the middle of a bike lane. Once again, here's Stuart McGinn to set the scene.

📌 JOB BOARD
If you heeded the call from Alberta's slick marketers and found yourself relocating to Calgary at some point in the past year, maybe it's time to start looking for a new gig now that you're settled. Charlie Hart did the job board scouring so you don't have to, finding six interesting positions with the City of Calgary — like making up to $119K a year a "leader, natural areas." Check out the list.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Health tech fraudster Elizabeth Holmes turns 39 years old today. Reggaeton icon Daddy Yankee is 46. Willow actor Warwick Davis is 53. Broadway legend Nathan Lane is 67. Punishing former hockey brute Tiger Williams, the all-time career leader in penalty minutes, turns 69. Morgan Fairchild is 73. Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 83. Michael Cimino, the late Oscar-winning director of The Deer Hunter (and box-office bomb Heaven's Gate) was born on this day in 1939. American illustrator Norman Rockwell was born on this day in 1894. The great novelist Gertrude Stein was born on this day in 1874.

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

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter that will never convince you to invest in our proprietary blood analysis tech.

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 weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!