Morning Brief: Canada's Christmas Forecast, Whether You Should Have An RRSP & More

We're back; sorry it's Monday — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: A traveller has reignited the never-ending debate over reclining your seat on an airplane, recording a video showing the seat of the passenger in front of him situated inches from his face. The Morning Brief's rule of thumb? If there's any threat of recreating the famous kiss scene from Spider-Man, you're too far back.

In Case You Missed It

1. From Coast To Coast, Canadians Can Expect A White Christmas This Year

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, you better pay attention. The Old Farmer's Almanac just dropped its late 2022 weather outlook for southern B.C., the Prairies, southern Ontario, southern Quebec and Atlantic Canada — and by and large, it appears that most areas are expected to receive a healthy dumping of snow (and enough chilly temperatures to ensure it actually stays on the ground). Lisa Belmonte takes us through the forecast region by region.

• In Its Words: Broadly, the Old Farmer's Almanac says Canada should prepare for "surprise shots of extra-deep cold" and major snowstorms this winter. Hey, wait a second... this is starting to sound less and less romantic.
• My Take: It's fantastic news for the estate of Irving Berlin — but terrible for my lower lumbar.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. Amid An Uptick In Illness, Ontario's Top Doc Says Rules For Thee, Not For Me

Since taking over as Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health midway through the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kieran Moore has been an inconsistent role model for the very tenets of public health he preaches. Mere days after "strongly recommending" that Ontarians mask up in indoor public spaces, Moore was spotted maskless at a bougie cocktail party put on by Toronto Life magazine to celebrate Toronto's 50 most influential people of 2022, Stuart McGinn reports. Moore's office sent Narcity a boilerplate response about how he washes his hands and encourages everyone to use good judgement, which you can read here.

• Go Deeper: Putting the "flu" in "influential," Moore placed 12th on the Toronto Life list — behind such luminaries as Premier Doug Ford, Mayor John Tory and Drake but ahead of The Weeknd, Margaret Atwood and Raptors phenom Scottie Barnes.
• My Take: This isn't how I wanted to learn I missed the cut yet again. Curse you, Toronto Life.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. Do Young Canadians Really Need To Think About Opening An RRSP?

Look, I get it. You're young, healthy and will definitely live forever — so do you even need to consider opening an RRSP? In fact, do you even know what that acronym stands for? Spoiler alert: it's a Registered Retirement Savings Plan, and it's the sort of proactive financial tool that you should think long and hard about (unless you want to be eating cat food in your 70s). The gist is that it's a savings account that allows you to build wealth without having to pay taxes on your deposited sum until you actually start withdrawing the funds come retirement age. Confused? Tristan Wheeler spoke with a personal finance expert to get the lowdown.

• In Her Words: "During your working years, the money you put toward your RRSP is subtracted from your taxable income for that year or 60 days of the previous year," said MoneySense Executive Editor Lisa Hannam.
• My Take: Do your own due diligence but from where I stand, it seems like a very good way to offset your tax burden if your annual salary happens to be very close to the next lowest income bracket.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

🌇 RENTAL HEALTH DAY
Narcity's own Mira Nabulsi recently delved into Toronto's tumultuous real estate market in search of a new place to live. Now, after viewing 14 rental units and surviving three bidding wars in two weeks, her pain is your gain. Here are the eight things Mira learned in her home hunt — including whether you should actually disclose that you own a pet.

🏒 MISFIT MASCOTS
A ranking of every current NHL mascot was recently unveiled and it was a mixed bag for Canada's teams, MTL Blog's Sofia Misenheimer writes. While a pair of Canadian mascots landed in the top four, three finished in the bottom six, including Montreal Canadiens (and former Expos) muppet Youppi! coming in at just No. 26. Check out the full ranking here.

🎄 HOLIDAY HAZE
There's a reason why a recent study determined that Calgary's Spruce Meadows Christmas Market was one of the best such holiday events in the world. As Charlie Hart notes, the annual tradition boasts over 300 stalls, a petting zoo and more. Here's why you should check it out before it wraps up on December 4.

🤢 TOTAL RECALL
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has released its latest round of food recalls, Sarah Rohoman reports. You know what that means: it's time to head to your fridges and pantries to see if you have any of these five disgusting treats, from plastic-laden cottage cheese to chocolate with undeclared milk contaminants.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Baltimore Ravens placekicking legend Justin Tucker turns 33 years old today. Call Carley Rae Jepsen (maybe?) and wish her a happy 37th. NFL star turned TV host Michael Strahan is 51. Ken Griffey Jr. is no longer much of a "Kid" at 53. Iceland's Björk warbles her way to 57. The wonderful Goldie Hawn is 77. The iconic Hockey Night in Canada sportscaster Foster Hewitt was born on this day 120 years ago.

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Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the only newsletter written from the old media gondola at Maple Leaf Gardens.

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!