Happy Hump Day — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: Two years after being barred from Twitter in the wake of the, uh, shenanigans on January 6, 2021 in Washington, former President Donald Trump was welcomed back to the platform by Elon Musk this week. However, Trump actually hasn't posted on Twitter since Musk rolled out the blue carpet — kind of like the writhing dread of waiting to see if your creepy, reclusive uncle actually shows up to Christmas dinner.

In Case You Missed It

1. If You're Planning On Travelling In The Near Future, Here's When To Book

According to travel experts, the best day of the year to book a flight isn't Black Friday or even Cyber Monday; it's actually the following day, (apparently) dubbed Travel Deal Tuesday. This year, the date falls on November 29 — just under a week away. So what are the potential savings? Katherine Caspersz notes that last year's average savings were about $300 on domestic flights and over $1,000 for international jaunts — and 2022 is expected to yield even better deals.

• By The Numbers: Travel Deal Tuesday is expected to see 50% more travel deals than Black Friday and 30% more deals than Cyber Monday.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. A Norwegian TikToker Shows The World How Much Groceries Cost In The Arctic

It's not exactly a major surprise that food becomes increasingly expensive the closer one lives to the North Pole. After all, there's a reason Santa got involved in manufacturing instead of, say, industrial agriculture: it's kind of hard to grow local produce when the terrain is rock hard and covered in snow most of the year. Still, a TikToker based on Svalbard, Norway — the world's northernmost settlement — turned heads when she revealed that she recently bought a watermelon for US$19, Asymina Kantorowicz writes. The TikToker also revealed the prices of other items where she lives.

• In Their Words: "I live in Alaska, USA," one commenter chimed in. "People often don’t understand how expensive food can get when it has to be shipped here in refrigerated boats/planes."
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. Marvel Star Chris Hemsworth Is Taking A Break From Acting; Here's Why

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Chris Hemsworth says that he plans on taking a break from acting to spend time with his family after a DNA test confirmed his fear that he's genetically predisposed of developing Alzheimer's disease. The 39-year-old Australian, who is best known for playing the hammer-wielding demigod Thor across the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past decade-plus, has two copies of the APOE4 gene, making it 8 to 10 times likelier that he'd develop the degenerative illness, writes Sameen Chaudhry.

• Wait, What? Hemsworth plans on completing a number of contractual obligations before his break. That would presumably include a number of previously announced Marvel projects, like the 2026 team-up film Avengers: Secret Wars.
• In His Words: "It really triggered something in me to want to take some time off," Hemsworth said. "Now, when I finish this tour this week, I'm going home, and I'm going to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify. Be with the kids, be with my wife."
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

🏰 WHIRLPOOL PALACE
If you've ever watched Harry Potter or Downton Abbey, one thought has probably crossed your mind: where are all the hot tubs? Imagine no more; Ste. Anne's Spa in Grafton, Ontario, offers an all-inclusive spa experience housed entirely in what is essentially an 1800s countryside castle. Madeline Forsyth explains what to expect on your next visit.

🏞️ CHASING WATERFALLS
You don't need to be a seasoned outdoors survivalist to explore B.C.'s beauty this time of year. As Ashley Harris writes, there are several easy day trips throughout the province with huge payoffs — namely, magical views of waterfalls. Throw on your long underwear and make a beeline for these five west coast winter adventures.

🎄 HOLIDAY HAZE
Quebecers can get in on the holiday fun, too. Upper Canada Village is about a two-hour drive from Montreal but it's totally worth it for the 40-minute Alight at Night Festival experience featuring over a million bulbs. From Beaver Tails to carriage rides, MTL Blog's Charlotte Hoareau breaks down what this year's event has in store.

⚽ WOLRD CUP
Ah yes, the World Cup: the quadrennial phenomenon where North America's soccer agnostics are reminded just how massive the sport and its star players are. For instance, did you know that Argentina's Lionel Messi earns more in salary and endorsement than some entire NHL squads make in a year? Asymina Kantorowicz walks us through soccer's top earners.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Wrecking-ball-riding pop star Miley Cyrus turns 30 years old today. Diminutive reality TV diva Snooki is 35. Retired Montreal Canadiens star Saku Koivu turns 48. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts is 62. Bespectacled funnyman Bruce Villanch is 74. Frankenstein horror icon (and original Grinch voice actor) Boris Karloff was born on this day in 1887.

HEY YOU! You should sign up for the email version of this newsletter right here. It's better than this version. Trust me.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter cautiously optimistic that Team Canada can pull off an early World Cup upset against a top-flight Belgium squad at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT today.

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!