Morning Brief: Ontario's Best Small Towns, The End Of Teletoon & More

Good morning, beautiful people of Earth — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: A TikToker got... well, she kind of got exactly what she asked for, though the internet seems to be coming to her defence. While trying to take part in the viral "surprise me" challenge at a Starbucks drive-through, the young creator asked the barista to create an off-menu drink to their liking — to which the exasperated fast-food worker bluntly offered to get them a glass of ice water. I'm sorry, was that not surprising enough to your liking?

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In Case You Missed It

What Are Cheap Ways To Improve Your Home Cooking?

Balsamic fig. Middle: Miso paste. Right: Chili crisp oil.

Sarah Rohoman | Narcity

As our very own Sarah Rohoman notes, it doesn't take a lot of money to take your home-cooking game to the next level. If you're looking to reallocate some of your takeout budget to stretch out your grocery budget (probably a wise choice), a good place to start is these seven cheap grocery items that can last in your fridge or pantry for ages — items as simple yet flavourful as Lao Gan Ma's Spicy Chilli Crisp or classic gochujang, a delightful Korean red pepper paste.

• My Take: If I could add one thing to the list, it'd be a simple, shelf-stable vegetable broth — a quick way to elevate any homemade soup, stew or rice dish.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Are The Best Small Towns To Visit In Ontario?

Madeline holding ice cream on the beach. Right: Madeline walking down a street.

@madeline.forsyth | Instagram

Madeline Forsyth is Narcity's resident expert on small-town Ontario. She has quite possibly visited every inch of this province that has a postal code. Through her travels, Madeline has nailed down eight small towns that stand above the rest: Bayfield, Blue Mountain Village, Elora, Kincardine, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Southampton, St. Jacobs and Stratford. Read the full story to learn why each location is worth a visit in 2023.

• My Take: A colleague and I were recently talking about Madeline's encyclopedic knowledge of small-town Ontario. There's a non-trivial possibility that she's some sort of Disney princess forced to walk the cobbled paths of quaint main streets, picturesque vineyard estates and lakeside boardwalks until her curse is broken. Can't rule it out.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Is Teletoon Ending For Good?

Caillou waving while holding his backpack and book. Right: 'Totally Spies' characters in action.

Teletoon

It's the end of an era in Canadian children's programming. After a quarter of a century, the channel Teletoon will undergo a complete rebrand, becoming the Cartoon Network as of March 27 this year, MTL Blog's Mike Chaar writes.

Launched in 1997 with pretty strict Canadian content quotas, Teletoon helped spark the country's animated programming boom; you might be surprised to learn that '90s and 2000s TV staples like Pippi Longstocking, Ned's Newt, Redwall, What's with Andy?, and 6Teen were all at least partly produced north of the border (as well as that nauseatingly whiney brat Caillou).

• Go Deeper: The Cartoon Network is already a well-known animation programming brand down in the U.S., and it actually previously existed in Canada as... the super creatively named Cartoon Network Canada. With Teletoon now taking the Cartoon Network mantle, Cartoon Network Canada will be relaunched as Boomerang, which will boast more retro cartoon content.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

😮 BEST COAST
A city in B.C. has been named one of the world's most-loved destinations. According to the Tourism Sentiment Index, the small town of Fernie, a haven for skiers and hikers, ranks 73rd on the list. Morgan Leet breaks down why Fernie stands out among B.C.'s many beautiful locales.

😂 A LITTLE LEVY-TY
Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy took to TikTok for a rare post a few days ago, essentially talking himself through the recent news of Canada and the U.S. shooting down unidentified flying objects over Alaska and Lake Huron. With tongue firmly in cheek, the actor declared he was here to "stoke the flames of controversy and skepticism," Sarah Rohoman writes. But does Levy have a point?

💥 TOTAL RECALL
Health Canada announced a voluntary recall for the Cosori Air Fryer late last week and is asking Canadians to immediately stop using the products, Lisa Belmonte reports. The issue is that the wire connectors in the air fryers can overheat, potentially resulting in burns and an overall fire hazard. Apparently, about 250,000 of the units were sold in Canada. Here's what you need to know.

🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
For just $375,000, you could trade in a grey and boring city life for the bright blue of the St. Lawrence River. Join MTL Blog's Thomas MacDonald for a virtual tour of this newly renovated three-bedroom, one-bathroom home in Sainte-Flavie, Quebec, just a short walk from great food and drink and literally a stone's throw from unblocked aquatic beauty.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
House of Cards actor Kate Mara turns 40 years old today. Pop crooner Josh Groban is 42. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary, is 43. Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who still has the most career receiving yards by a tight end, is 47. Canadian baseball lifer Matt Stairs, who holds the MLB record with 23 pinch-hit home runs, is 55. Lakers great James Worthy is 62. Harry Potter henchman Timothy Spall turns 66. The late Howard Hesseman of WKRP in Cincinnati fame would have been 83 today. Former U.S. presidential nominee Ralph Nader is 89. The one and only Elizabeth Taylor was born on this day in 1932.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter where even on a special occasion, there can be no sentimentality afforded to Caillou.

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 tomorrow!