8 Things You Need To Know For October 4

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity's Canada Morning Brief here. ☕

Off The Top: Look out below! Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went bungee jumping in Quebec this weekend to celebrate his son's birthday — the most precipitous fall we've seen from a G7 leader since the U.K. elected Liz Truss.

1. The Gap Between The Richest & Poorest Canadians Is Growing

According to a recent report from Statistics Canada, income inequality in the country is the worst it's been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The richest 10% of the population controlled a whopping 41.2% of Canada's disposable income in the second quarter of 2022, MTL Blog's Willa Holt reports. Here's what you need to know — including a silver lining for those under 65.

• By The Numbers: Overall, the richest 40% of Canadians controlled 64.4% of the country's disposable income in Q2 of 2022. On the flip side, the poorest 40% of the population controlled less than a fifth of disposable income.

2. François Legault's CAQ Obliterates The Challengers For Supremacy In Quebec

With the ballots in all 125 ridings now counted, it's clear that the nationalist Coalition Avenir Québec has surged to re-election as the province's majority government under leader François Legault. The CAQ secured 90 seats in the National Assembly of Quebec with just under 41% of the overall vote, well ahead of the Liberal Party, who will form the official opposition with 21 seats. Sofia Misenheimer breaks down the results — and why the CAQ's huge night came as little surprise.

• Go Deeper: Willa Holt examines the Liberal Party's relative successes on Monday, particularly thanks to concentrated support in the Montreal area.
• Even Deeper: What about the Parti Québécois? Despite actually receiving more total votes than the Liberals, the once-dominant pro-sovereignty faction was basically wiped off the map with just three seats.
• OK, Stop Digging: Despite receiving support from just under 13% of voters, Quebec's Conservative Party was shut out entirely. Not even party leader Éric Duhaime was able to win his Québec City riding of Chauveau; that seat went to the CAQ.

3. Ontario's Public Education Workers Voted Largely In Support Of Strike Action

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is strongly encouraging Ontario's provincial government to return to the bargaining table after its education workers voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action. Over 80% of CUPE's 55,000 union members in education voted, with 96.5% endorsing labour disruption as a means of bringing about change. Among the key issues, Patrick John Gilson reports, are stagnant wages and staffing cuts. Read more here.

• Wait, What? No, the vote doesn't mean Ontario's education workers are now officially on strike, nor does it guarantee that school operations will be disrupted at all — but clearly things seem to be trending in that direction should CUPE and the Ford government not discover some common ground.
• In Her Words: "This vote is about education workers across Ontario demonstrating our resolve to stand behind those proposals and fight for a decent pay increase after ten years of real wage cuts and for the staffing levels and service security that students need," said Ontario School Boards Council of Unions president Laura Walton.

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What Else You Need To Know Today

📈 WAGE GAUGE
The minimum wage went up in six provinces as of October 1 — including Ontario, three Maritime provinces and two Prairie provinces. Janice Rodrigues breaks down where each province and territory now stands — including the highest minimum wage in Canada.

🍂 FALL INTO AUTUMN
If you're planning a trip to our nation's capital this fall, make sure you budget for a day touring around the Ontario and Quebec countryside. Megan Johnson has dug deep for a list of nine pretty small towns near Ottawa that will make you wonder if you've inadvertently stumbled into a Thomas Kinkade painting.

🍟 DIRTY RONNIE'S
McDonald's launch of a new Happy Meal for adults in the U.S. is turning heads for its innovative method of tricking grown human beings into exchanging money for little hunks of plastic. Our Georgia correspondent Maeve Brown took one for the team and actually bought the limited-time special to see if the quick dose of nostalgia was worth the $3 up-charge.

🥾 TAKE A HIKE
No need to set sail for New Zealand to experience Lord of the Rings-quality scenery. As Ashley Harris notes, there is no shortage of breathtaking hikes in British Columbia, resplendent with massive mountain vistas, towering trees and magical waterfalls. As J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "Not all who wander are lost."

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Happy 33rd birthday to Dakota Johnson, owner of the funniest take on NFTs. Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose is 34. Spandex-wearing ex-TV superhero Melissa Benoist is 34. Clueless star Alicia Silverstone is 46? As if! Hollywood heavy Liev Schreiber is 55. James Bond antagonist Christoph Waltz turns 66. Susan Sarandon is 76. The great comedic legend Buster Keaton was born on this day in 1895.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — where escorting Hobbits to Mordor sounds more like traipsing across the countryside than an outright death wish.

From Keaton to Carrey, let me know your favourite purveyor of physical comedy 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!