Morning Brief: John Tory Wins Again, Top Canadian Snacks & More

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: Remember back in 2014 when the U2 album Songs of Innocence somehow wound up on your iPhone? Agonizingly self-serious frontman Bono has finally apologized to the world for the ambitious "overreach" in an excerpt from his forthcoming autobiography (which you can probably find automatically downloaded to your Apple Books account next month).

In Case You Missed It

1. John Tory Dominates The Field To Win Third Straight Toronto Mayoral Race

It didn't take long for Canada's largest city to learn who will be leading city hall for the next four years, with the CBC declaring John Tory the winner of a third straight term as Toronto's mayor less than 30 minutes after polls closed on Monday. The former media exec (and current Rogers board member) secured 62% of the vote, well ahead of second-place finisher Gil Penalosa (17.9%). Tory's strategy appeared to be simply maintaining the status quo; throughout the campaign, the 68-year-old eschewed bold new pledges in favour of simply reiterating past promises on hot-button topics like housing and transit, Stuart McGinn reports.

• Context: The gap between Tory and his closest challenger was actually greater than his landslide 2018 victory, when he beat former Chief City Planner Jennifer Keesmaat 63.5% to 23.6%.
• Poor Turnout: As of Monday night, the Toronto Star was projecting a voter turnout of around 29% of Toronto's 1.89 million eligible voters.
• In His Words: "With the strong mandate we’ve received from the people of Toronto tonight, I look forward to making real progress for you and for all those who come to our great city to build their life here," Tory tweeted Monday.

2. Google's Incognito Mode Isn't Nearly As Private As You Think (Gulp)

You know that air of secrecy that comes while using incognito mode, Google Chrome's browser feature that suggests total digital privacy? It turns out our confidence in that tool has been largely unfounded. The tech giant is facing a US$5 billion class-action lawsuit centred on incognito mode — and it doesn't help Google's case that court documents reveal that employees have openly joked about how little protection it actually offers. MTL Blog's Sofia Misenheimer has the full story here.

• Wait, What? Incognito mode basically means that no previous cookies or history are saved on your browser — but Google and your internet service provider can still track your every move and store that information.
• My Take: Boss, all those incognito searches on my company laptop are for an upcoming story, I swear.

3. The 6 Canadian Classics That Changed Our U.K.-Born Writer's Snacking Life

When it comes to snacks, Charlie Hart hadn't really considered the Lay(s) of the land when she relocated from the U.K. to Calgary earlier this year. Hailing from the land of crisps and Cadbury, she soon discovered that Canada has its own snack staples worthy of exaltation on the global stage — from hot delicacies like Kraft Dinner to crunchy sundries like all-dressed chips. Here are the six Canadian snacks that Charlie couldn't live without.

• Have Your Say: Give me a shout at andrew.potter@narcity.com to let me know your top classic Canadian snacks.

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What Else You Need To Know Today

🌲 VAN LIFE
Our Ashley Harris has visited Victoria, Tofino, Nanaimo and Sidney many times and agrees that the Vancouver Island spots are absolutely perfect — for a short vacation. As a lifelong Vancouver resident, Ashley writes that she's in no rush to give up her big-city life for life on the island. Here are six major reasons why.

🍣 SUSHI? GO!
For fans of Toronto's Japanese food scene, it was little surprise to see the cuisine so well represented on the inaugural list of Michelin-starred restaurants revealed last month. Now, Madeline Forsyth writes, the vaunted food guide has released its list of the seven best Japanese restaurants in the city, a collection of previously announced star recipients and other local favourites.

🛍️ WINNER'S CIRCLE
Not all bargain hunters are made equally, evidently. Our Tristan Wheeler interviewed a former employee of clothes retailer Winners and learned there are actually a few ways to get even better deals on their already-discounted wares. From what time the best deals hit the racks to which customer behaviour is the most annoying, here's how to maximize your next Winners trip.

🍷 WINE TIME
Just because the temperature is dropping doesn't mean you can't squeeze in a final trip or two down to wine country. Megan Johnson spotted nine beautiful Ontario wineries with heated patios — perfect for cozying up by the fire with a glass of red on a crisp autumn day.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
San Diego Padres phenom Juan Soto turns just 24 years old today. Bubblegum pop songstress Katy Perry is 38. Titular Jonovision star Jonathan Torrens hits the half-century mark. The Office's Craig Robinson is 51. Toronto-born comedian Samantha Bee is 53. Maple Leafs legend Wendel Clark is 56. Nancy Cartwright is 65; she's Bart Simpson — who the hell are you? The late Helen Reddy would have turned 81 years old.

Thanks for reading Narcity'sCanada Morning Brief — the newsletter now made with 30% more sleight of hand and twist of fate.

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!