Morning Brief: Winter Warmth Hacks, The Ethics Of Airplane Seat-Swaps & More

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: Thanks to TikTok, we now know that we've been collectively peeling oranges in a needlessly messy manner for years; watch this clip to see how a savvy citrus lover first slices the fruit in half, then pops it inside out for perfectly peelable bite-sized portions. It's the biggest news for orange hacks since Trump won the presidency.

In Case You Missed It

1. The Winter Hacks You Learn To Survive Life In One Of Canada's Snowiest Cities

She leads our Western Canada news desk today but prior to moving to B.C., Morgan Leet spent most of her childhood growing up in beautiful Saint John, New Brunswick — the country's eighth-snowiest metropolitan area, per Environment Canada. So how did she escape without so much as a single digit to frostbite? Dressing smartly and knowing how to turn household objects like potatoes and cooking spray into life-saving objects. Morgan explains seven weird hacks for surviving Canada's harshest winters.

• Go Deeper: The most ingenuous trick on the list? Rubbing half of a potato on your windshield the night before a big frost to keep your car ice-free. You'll have to click the link below to fully understand the method to the madness.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. Are You Obligated To Switch Seats On A Plane To Help Another Passenger?

You've likely witnessed a situation like this before — or been directly involved in one yourself: the passenger cabin of a plane is starting to fill up ahead of a flight when someone asks if you'd be willing to switch seats to allow them to sit with their partner, friend or child. But you might really like your seat; maybe you even paid an extra fee for added legroom. What should you do? Or an even better question: what are you required to do? Katherine Caspersz got the inside scoop from a former flight attendant on the rules — both official and unwritten — about switching seats on an airplane.

• My Take: If the swap is virtually even (i.e., aisle seat for aisle seat in economy class), that's usually an automatic yes for me. However, it's a non-starter if I paid for a seat upgrade. For what it's worth, I've found that if you "broker" the swap through a flight attendant and don't make a big stink about it, you'll usually wind up with some extra snacks or drinks for your trouble.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. Here's How Ontario Played A Special Role In Your Annual Christmas Traditions

Canada's film industry is often referred to as "Hollywood North." Ahead of the holiday season, however, you may as well call it Hollywood North Pole. In particular, there has been no shortage of Christmas flicks shot in Ontario over the years, from annual classics like A Christmas Story to... a movie where Mel Gibson plays a homicidal hitman version of Santa. Megan Johnson breaks down seven holiday movies you probably didn't know were shot in the province (and whether you should actually check them out).

• My Take: Shoutout to my longtime pal Shawn, whose elf-life features as a wee tot made him the perfect extra in 1994's The Santa Clause. He's undoubtedly the biggest film star out of East York since Mary Pickford.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

🧊 COLD CASE
Miraculously, Toronto police have made an arrest in the 1983 slayings of two women, the then-45-year-old Susan Tice and 22-year-old Erin Gilmour. As Stuart McGinn reports, 61-year-old Joseph George Sutherland was arrested and charged with both murders. Learn how the authorities made a breakthrough in the nearly four-decade-old cold case.

🇮🇹 IDEAL ITALY
Remember how your parents or grandparents left the proverbial "Old Country" to come to Canada all those years ago? One small town in Southern Italy says it will pay you about US$30,000 if you purchase property and move back, Asymina Kantorowicz writes. There's a reason why the beautiful and historic village of Presicce is so desperate for newcomers.

🐈 CATERWAULING
If you're only now just mulling the possibility of pet adoption, boy, you're really far behind on everyone's favourite early-pandemic trend. Still, there's plenty to keep in mind. MTL Blog's Willa Holt chatted with Montreal's SPCA about the current state of our feline friends, including the most important info you need to know before adopting a cat.

🔦 GOON SQUAD
Fans of The Goonies will recognize a recent real estate listing in Astoria, Oregon: the century home that stood in for the Walsh family's abode in the 1985 family adventure classic. Never say "die," but the piece of film history is listed at a cool $1.65M, Ashley Harris notes — so you might need to find One-Eyed Willy's treasure in order to afford the down payment.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Let's ride; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson turns 34 years old today. Scary Movie star Anna Faris is 46. The late Chadwick Boseman also would have turned 46 today. Make a big pot of chilli in honour of The Office oaf Brian Baumgartner's 50th birthday. Baseball's GOAT closer, Mariano Rivera, is 53. Don Cheadle is 58. Bald germaphobe Howie Mandel is 67. Narnia author C.S. Lewis was born on this day in 1898.

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Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter that recognizes that naming your signature novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe follows the basic tenets of good SEO.

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!