Morning Brief: Why Beer Is Getting Pricier, The Perils Of Hooking Up With Your Boss & More

We made it; TGIF — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: A Teen Week contestant on Wheel of Fortune experienced what some have called the worst choke in the show's history. With "FRE_H TROPICAL FRUIT" on the board, the Grade 10 student asked host Pat Sajak if the missing letter was "G," triggering a loud audible groan from the in-studio audience.

Look, some of you clearly never enjoyed a succulent piece of fregh fruit growing up and it shows.

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In Case You Missed It

Why Is Alcohol More Expensive In Canada?

The liquor section of a store in Montreal.

Dennizn | Dreamstime

It's no joke; on April 1, the next federal tax hike on alcohol products will come into effect. Canada's booze taxes are tied to the Consumer Price Index, and since the price of everyday goods has gone up dramatically this past year, alcohol will follow suit. The damage? Multiple reports peg this year's tax hike at a whopping 6.3% — the largest Canada has seen in 40 years, according to industry association Restaurants Canada. Janice Rodrigues has the full story for us.

• So What? Per NerdWallet, the tax hike will result in the average Canadian paying an extra $52.73 on booze in the year ahead.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

How Do You Renew An Ontario Health Card Or Driver's License Online?

A Service Ontario location in Ottawa, Ontario. Right: A fake Ontario Health Card example.

Colin Temple | Dreamstime, Ontario Government

It's now easier than ever to renew your Ontario health card and driver's license. Forget the lines; with only a few exceptions, you can now renew both identification documents online in the comfort of your home at the same time. As Stuart McGinn notes, the card you're renewing cannot be fully expired. You will also still have to go into a ServiceOntario location if you require a new photo to be taken — which you have to do every 10 years anyway. Here's what else you need to know.

• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Is It A Bad Idea To Have A Relationship With Your Boss?

Former Toronto mayor John Tory.

@torontosmayor | Instagram

Uh, yes; generally speaking, you should not have any sort of intimate relationship with your superior at work — even if it's 100% consensual. As Brooke Houghton examines in her latest Cheaper Than Therapy column, there are a number of ethical and practical pitfalls that can arise when the lines between professional and personal life are blurred; just ask now-former Toronto mayor John Tory, who resigned earlier this month after a previous affair with a staffer less than half his age came to light.

• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

🛒 TOP-SHELF PRODUCTS
Award season is in full swing, and though you'll never spot Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett chumming it up at the Product of the Year Canada awards, Canadian consumers have voted nonetheless, crowing winners across 25 categories. For example, Ziploc's Compostable Sandwich Bags were voted best sustainable product and Caramilk Salted Caramel took home best chocolate. MTL Blog's Charlotte Hoareau takes us through all the winners.

🤣 QUIPPY CLIP
If you're curious as to how Ontario politics got to this exact moment, perhaps HBO's John Oliver deserves some blame. Denizens of the internet unearthed an old clip of the TV personality encouraging voters to elect Doug Ford during Toronto's 2014 mayoral election, championing the now-premier as a source of consistent unintentional comedy, Mira Nabulsi writes. Watch the hilarious (if a tad raunchy) clip here.

🤠 TEXAS FLEX
While many are struggling just to find an affordable place to rent, one young man recently purchased an entire town he found listed on Facebook. Fernanda Leon caught up with entrepreneur Jon Jasniak to figure out why he bought the small, unincorporated town of Cornudas, Texas, and how he plans to revitalize the 28-acre strip.

🚫 POINT OF NO RETURN
Though the COVID-19 pandemic turned just about everyone into online shoppers, some retailers are changing their policies around returns, instituting small fees to offset the cost of shipping. For example, women's fashion retailer Aritzia is now deducting $8 plus tax from a customer's refund while Best Buy now has a 15% restocking fee on select items. Katherine Caspersz has more details about the shift in consumer-retailer relations.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Actor O'Shea Jackson Jr., who played his dad, Ice Cube, in the biopic Straight Outta Compton, turns 32 years old today. Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya is 34. Retired pro boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (and his 50-0 career record) is 46. Canadian fiddle aficionado Ashley MacIsaac is 48. Manon Rhéaume, the trailblazing goalie who saw preseason action with Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992 and 1993, turns 51.

The late standup comic Mitch Hedberg would've been just 55 years old today. Titanic villain Billy Zane is 57. Calgary Flames legend Mike Vernon hits the big 6-0. Steve Jobs would've been 68. Stand and deliver birthday wishes to Edward James Olmos, who's 76 today. Nike founder Phil Knight is 85. It's no hoax; the late Abe Vigoda was born 102 years ago.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — and to quote the timeless Mitch Hedberg, "rice is great if you want to eat 2,000 of something."

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 day and I will see you back here on Monday!