Good morning — Alshaar from Narcity here. Andrew is under the weather today, so I'm filling in for him today ☕
Off The Top: A Toronto woman recently ended up giving birth in the backseat of a Beck Taxi, and luckily her driver was on hand to help bring her baby boy into the world. Here's the story of Vernon the 'hero' driver, who saved the day!
In Case You Missed It
Inflation In Canada Is Slowing Down But It's Complicated
A Loblaws store. Right: A gas station in Canada.Mike Clegg | Dreamstime, Bsenic | Dreamstime
Inflation is on a downward trajectory in Canada, or at least that's what Statistics Canada suggests in its recent report. The numbers indicate a 6.3% inflation in December 2022 as compared to 6.8% in the preceding month of November. However, the mortgage interest cost index went up by a whopping 18% in December 2022, when compared to the 14.5% increase in November 2022, making real estate more expensive, reports Tristan Wheeler.
- What went down: December gasoline prices dropped by 13.1% compared to November, which is the biggest monthly decline since April 2020
- Ruffling feathers: Simultaneously though, the chicken-spotting trend continued with a $33 pack going viral from a No Frills outlet in Alberta. That doesn't sound like a slowdown, does it?
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
This Is The Number Of Drinks Per Week That Is Unhealthy In 2023
Alcohol bottles on display behind a bar. Right: People holding glasses of beer over their meals.Eaters Collective | Unsplash, Elevate | Unsplash
There are new alcohol guidelines in Canada outlining how much you should drink and the advice is pretty different from the U.S. and U.K. It's even a departure from the last round of official guidance nationally, writes Lisa Belmonte. Released earlier this week by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), the report links having seven or more standard drinks a week to increasingly higher risk, with an elevated risk of heart disease or stroke.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
- If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or substance use, help is available across the provinces and territories. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital
Finding Roommates In Toronto Can Be Harder Than Dating
Downtown Toronto. Right: Two cups of coffee on a table.
Dawn0432 | Dreamstime, Franz1212 | Dreamstime
Our Janice Rodrigues moved from Dubai to Toronto last year and she has had some interesting experiences in the 6ix already, including recent Emily in Paris-style househunting misadventures. The skyrocketing rental prices in Toronto plus her interest in meeting new people pushed her to look for a roommate. But from flakey applicants to the goings-on of unreliable Facebook groups, she was forced to experience quite an ordeal. Did she eventually find a roommate? Were there other lessons learnt on the way?
What Else You Need To Know Today
🏡 SAFELY HOME
Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner is back home, more than two weeks after a serious snowplow accident; and he is reportedly in for a long recovery ahead. He had been in the hospital ever since the accident on New Year's Day at his home in Reno, Nevada, in which he was crushed by the heavy-duty equipment, reports Asymina Kantorowicz.
🎥 NOW SHOWING
It's Popcorn Day this Thursday (January 19) and Cineplex is offering free popcorn to moviegoers. So, in case you were planning on cashing in, here's a list of all that will be playing on Canada's silver screen this month. From horror enthusiasts to rom-com lovers, there's something for everyone.
⚔️ WHEN GRETA MET ANDREW
Greta Thunberg was detained in Germany earlier this week for peacefully protesting against the demolition of the village Lützerath for the expansion of a coal mine. And of course, the upholders of pop culture had to create memes about her running into Andrew Tate in prison. Sameen Chaudhry reports about the internet's latest content fodder here.
👮♂️ 'CUFFED UP
Speaking of prison, police force numbers across the border have shrunk recently following an explosive sex scandal. Officer Maegan Hall, 26, of the La Vergne Police Department in Tennessee, was found to have had several intimate relations with her colleagues. This included, but was not limited to, some very passionate happenings even on the job, reports Brittany Cristiano from our U.S. Desk. Her male counterparts were also either terminated or suspended.
🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Kevin Costner celebrates his 68th birthday today, having missed the recent Golden Globes award ceremony due to the California storm. Wrestler and actor Dave 'Batista' Bautista, who was most recently seen in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix, turns 54. Successful soccer manager Pep Guardiola, who has led various European clubs to silverware, is 52, while Jason Segel of How I Met Your Mother fame marks his 43rd trip around the sun.
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Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — where we take interest in both Canada's inflation and America's police scandals.
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Have a great day and we will see you back here tomorrow!