8 Things You Need To Know For July 25

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

A "dangerous" criminal has escaped from a B.C. prison and the RCMP say he's using his connections to evade capture — a great testament to the power of networking.

Psst... You can now sign up for the (far superior) email version of the Canada Morning Brief right here.

In Case You Missed It

1. These New Passport Rules Are Confusing Just About Everybody

Passport Canada has one big piece of advice for those looking to leave the country this summer: "You should not book travel without a valid passport." Alas, that recommendation would seemingly contradict the reality that those applying for express passport services are required to show proof of travel, like a plane ticket or travel itinerary, Janice Rodrigues reports. Here's the latest on the increasingly confusing passport renewal rules.

2. Monkeypox Is Officially An Emergency; Here's What To Know

The World Health Organization has deemed the global monkeypox outbreak "a Public Health Emergency of International Concern" and Canada should pay attention. As of Saturday, there were 681 confirmed cases in the country across five provinces, including the country's first case among a female individual and the first case in Saskatchewan. Sarah Rohoman takes us deeper into the developing situation.

• My Take: Wash your hands and if you're sick, don't go into the office, the gym or to your grandma's 90th birthday party. If only we'd had some sort of trial run for how to protect our communities in the face of viral outbreak.

3. Here's How Much You Need To Make To Buy A House In Toronto

After scouring Toronto real estate data from March to June of this year, Ratehub.ca calculated that the average household needs to make at least $226,500 annually to afford the average home price in the city during that span — $1,204,900. Brooke Houghton breaks down what you need to earn to afford an average home in nine other major Canadian cities.

What Else You Need To Know Today

🎉 HOLIDAYS
Happy National Hot Fudge Sundae Day and National Wine and Cheese Day. If you do imbibe in either of those decadent observances, do wait at least 30 minutes before going for a dip; it's also World Drowning Prevention Day.

⛪ PAPAL VISIT
Pope Francis began his six-day visit to Canada on Sunday. His first public words will come today at the site of a former residential school near Edmonton. He is expected to further apologize for the Catholic Church's role in the large-scale abuse and mistreatment of Indigenous peoples.

📌 JOB BOARD
If you have dual citizenship — or know how to swing a U.S. work visa — you could do a lot worse than this job creating TikToks at America's National Parks for upwards of US$73,000 a year. Maeve Browne has the deets.

🍝 SUMMERLICIOUS
Torontonians can start making reservations for this summer's Summerlicious, which officially runs August 12-28. Mira Nabulsi has scouted out seven restaurants offering three-course dinners for $25.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
How you doin', Matt LeBlanc? The Friends star turns 55 today. Known as "Sweetness" — and perhaps the greatest running back in football history — the late Walter Payton was born 68 years ago today. Estelle Getty of Golden Girls fame was born 99 years ago; in 2008, she became the first of the four principal cast members to pass.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the preeminent publication covering all the latest news and notes about a 1980s sitcom starring four 60-year-old women.

Let me know what you liked (and disliked) about today's edition at andrew.potter@narcity.com.

Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!