Morning Brief: Canada's Worst Food, A Rare Volcanic Eruption & More

Happy Hump Day — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: No, it's not the latest Pixar flick or a scene out of a Far Side comic strip; a gang of fugitive cows has been roaming around Saint-Sévère, Quebec. In fact, they've somehow outsmarted the local authorities for months, largely thanks to various levels of government playing hot potato with the responsibility of culling the herd. May as well borrow the tao of Bart Simpson and change Quebec's provincial motto to "Don't Have a Cow, Man."

In Case You Missed It

1. Here's What The Average Canadian In Your Age Bracket Makes Per Year

According to Statistics Canada, the average salary for a working adult in the country is currently $49,300 per year. Of course, not every Canadian is paid equally; there are a number of factors that contribute toward income, like education level, technical know-how and, naturally, experience. A recent report from job listing service Indeed broke down working Canadians into age groups to see just how earning power changes from young adulthood through retirement age. Katherine Caspersz helps us make sense of all the data.

• By The Numbers: On the low end of the pay scale, Canadians aged 16-24 are taking home just $17,300 annually. On the other end of the spectrum, those aged 45-54 — typically the prime of one's career — are making $66,700 per year, with average salaries dropping off beyond that point.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. Not Everyone Loves Those Famous Canadian Delicacies

From coast to coast, Canada is home to more than a few cherished food items. B.C.'s ultra-rich Nanaimo bars. The invented-in-Calgary caesar. Quebec's traditional poutine (and the seemingly endless regional variations). However, in a world rife with cheese-curd-hating contrarians, it seems that even our country's most beloved food items have their detractors. With an assist from the internet message boards, here's Katherine Caspersz once again to break down what some believe to be the worst Canadian foods.

• My Take: Apparently the beautiful people of Newfoundland enjoy eating something called seal flipper pie, which is, um, exactly what it sounds like. I'm sure it tastes just fine after about 15 shots of Screech.
• In Their Words: "Seal flipper pie tastes like steak pie made from a cow that drowned at sea and washed ashore much later. Source: I ate flipper pie," reads one particularly poetic comment. Yum!
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. OK, Do We Need To Talk About The Scandal Rocking The Fashion World?

Even for the usually insular world of haute couture, the ongoing Balenciaga scandal is particularly mindless and nasty. Here's the gist: a recent photo spread by the Italian fashion house featured young children toting teddy bears outfitted in stereotypical bondage/sex worker attire — such as leather harnesses, fishnet shirts and padlocked chains. Now, celebrities associated with the brand, including the Kardashians, are distancing themselves from Balenciaga while also demanding to know how the hell this concept was approved, Sameen Chaudhry reports.

• Go Deeper: If a photoshoot mixing children and bondage iconography wasn't unsettling enough, eagle-eyed denizens of the internet soon identified that a previous Balenciaga campaign in partnership with Adidas featured documents about an old U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding indecent images of children.
• My Take: WTF.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

🤙 VOLCANIC PANIC
Hawaii's Mauna Loa is the world's largest active volcano — and, um, it's currently erupting. (If you happen to live on the Big Island, apologies for how late in the newsletter this news was featured; you might want to evacuate.) As Josh Elliott notes, Mauna Loa hasn't blown its top since 1984 so the ongoing fireworks are a very rare phenomenon to behold.

🌮 CHEAP EATS
Earlier this fall, eight Vancouver restaurants were awarded the much-coveted stars in the city's inaugural Michelin Guide. However, according to local food bloggers, you can still find great eats without breaking the bank or waiting months for a reservation. Ashley Harris walks us through seven affordable dining options that B.C.'s foodies can't get enough of — like Downlow Chicken Shack's big and juicy sandwiches.

🧤 SNOW JOKE
Narcity's Charlie Hart recently had the misfortune — I mean, uh, distinct pleasure! — of moving from the U.K. to Calgary, Alberta, where the winter weather can get... unpleasant. If you're planning on visiting the wild rose province for the first time this winter, you'll want to check out Charlie's list of seven clothing items essential for winter survival.

💑 DATE EXPECTATIONS
You don't need to make it rain to have a fun time in Toronto either. In fact, there are plenty of fun and festive activities to try out this holiday season that cost $25 or less. From light shows to Christmas markets, Madeline Forsyth details how to have fun on a budget through the final month of 2022.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Chess savant Magnus Carlsen turns 32 years old today. Chrissy Teigen and her "perfect imperfections" are 37, as is Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco. Comedy legend Ben Stiller is 57 (how does he get his hair like that?). Bo Jackson, the author of one of the greatest sports highlight reels of all time, is 60. Whose birthday is it anyway? Colin Mochrie is 65. Recently deceased longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy would have been 67 today. His name is Mandy Patinkin; it is his 70th birthday; prepare to celebrate.

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Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter that's only barely more structured than your average improv comedy showcase.

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!