Everything You Need To Know For July 5
Including 7 road trips every Canadian should consider taking this summer!
A person drives a car along the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Right: A Canadian $1 bill from 1967.
Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕
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In Case You Missed It
1. This Ontario Municipality Just Did Its Workers A Major Solid
St. Catharines just became the second-biggest municipality in Canada to guarantee its staffers a living wage, trailing only Vancouver, Alex Arsenych reports. The new framework will be instituted by 2024 and encompass not only full-time municipal workers but also part-timers and contractors. Here's why that's kind of a big deal.- What else? According to the Ontario Living Wage Network, a living wage in the Niagara Region is $18.90 — a significant jump beyond the provincial minimum wage of $15.50.
2. He Choked Out A Stage-Crasher — Then Was Crowned Hot Dog Champ
No one could have been shocked by competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut winning the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island yesterday. After all, the Glizzy G.O.A.T. had won the event on all but one Fourth of July since 2007. This year, however, featured some unexpected drama: on his way to slurping down 63 hot dogs, Chestnut briefly had to fight off an animal rights activist in a Darth Vader mask who crashed the stage. Josh Elliott breaks down the bizarre episode.
3. One Of Our Writers Thought She Knew Canada Before Moving Here
Narcity's trending news editor Helena Hanson was born and raised in Wales, that mysterious corner of the United Kingdom that's home to such mythical entities as dragons and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Before moving to Canada, Helena thought she had our country all figured out — but she would soon find out how many misconceptions she had about life in the Great White North.
4. Ryan Reynolds Shares 'Kinda Mind Blowing' Canadian $1 Bill
Speaking of misconceptions about Canada, you may be surprised to learn that we also used to use $1 bills, just like our neighbours to the south. Sarah Rohoman writes that Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds professed to having his mind blown after discovering a crisp commemorative $1 bank note from 1967 — the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation — among his late dad's possessions. Here's a closer look at the unique piece of Canadian history.
5. Iconic Canadian Road Trips For Incredible Views, Food & Adventure
Summer's in full swing, and — if you can afford to gas up your whip — it's the perfect time to hit the road and explore all the sights, sounds and tastes that Canada has to offer. From old favourites like Nova Scotia's famous Cabot Trail to lesser-known gems, Katherine Caspersz has us covered with seven must-try road trips.
What Else You Need To Know Today
🎉 HOLIDAYS
It's time to celebrate some of the world's crumbliest things: today marks Mechanical Pencil and National Graham Crackers Day. It's also National Workaholics Day; for the safety of yourself and others, try not to work too hard.
🏀 GLOBLJAM
No, that's not a typo — just unnecessarily vowel-deficient branding. Canada Basketball and Sportsnet are hosting an elite prospect tournament in Toronto from today through July 10, offering a chance to see potential future NBA and WNBA talents like Leonard Miller and Aaliyah Edwards.
🏁 AMAZING RACE
After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, The Amazing Race Canada returns to the small screen tonight on CTV. Olympic skeleton champ Jon Montgomery is back as host, guiding 10 duos through a coast-to-coast obstacle course for the grand prize of $250,000.
🐅 TIGER WATCH
Tiger Woods is in action at the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland today. It's notable because it's only his third event since suffering a brutal car crash in February 2021 and it's a precursor to his participation in the Open Championship in Scotland next week.
🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Planet earth has turned slowly but surely for Owl City's Adam Young, who turns 36 today. At 53, the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA should protect his neck with daily exercise and a mindful diet. Your favourite rapper's favourite interviewer Nardwuar is now 54; how did we know? He's Nardwuar the Human Serviette; we have to know! Reclusive Calvin and Hobbes cartoonist Bill Watterson is 64.
Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the only newsletter unsurprised when Nardwuar shows up bearing gifts.
Once again, I'd love to 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!