8 Things You Need To Know For September 2

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

Off The Top: Who needs Canada's Wonderland? Everyone knows the scariest ride our country has to offer is literally any commercial passenger bus service. And frankly, this bus that had to be fumigated due to a black widow spider infestation is nowhere near the worst-case scenario.

In Case You Missed It

1. Canadians Ranked The Provinces & Everyone Ripped Quebec For Some Reason

The diversity of experiences and perspectives across the Great White North is a beautiful thing — especially when a large swath of Canadians agree to hate on something. According to a market research company's polling, 21% of Canadians tabbed Quebec as their least-liked province/territory, followed by Alberta (10%) and Nunavut (9%). On the flip side, 30% picked B.C. as their favourite province followed by Alberta (12%). Janice Rodrigues walks us through the numbers — including the main reason why people dislike la belle province.

• My Take: For the record, I like Quebec just fine. Also, wait a sec... why do people dislike Nunavut? The vast majority of Canadians will never venture that far north in their lives. What's the point of this survey? It's like asking me to review a show based solely on the commercials. "The Big Bang Theory is terrible, which is why I've never seen it!"

2. Lord of the streams: The Rings of Power vs. House of the Dragon

These are halcyon days for fantasy fans, with Amazon Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings prequel series The Rings of Power entering the streaming arena versus HBO's Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. With the first two episodes of both new series now out, those with limited time will have to make some decisions on how to prioritize their sword-and-dragon epics. Enter Josh Elliott, Narcity's resident maester, with a must-read guide on which show best suits your viewing preferences.

• My Take: An overabundance of streaming options isn't a pit — it's a ladder.

3. The Cost Of Living Is A Killer; Here's How Canadians Are Saving Cash

According to a recent report by accounting firm Ernst & Young, 80% of Canadians are currently concerned about their finances amid these shaky days for the economy. The anxiety skews higher for low-income workers; 87% in that bracket expressed concern versus 64% of the high-income bracket, Tristan Wheeler reports. What are the first spending habits Canadians are looking to curtail in light of the current reality? For one, expect fewer people to be in on the latest fashion trends this fall.

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

What Else You Need To Know Today

☀️ LONG WEEKEND REPORT
After a hot and summery Saturday, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are all projecting low-20s° with light rain to round out the weekend. Calgary and Edmonton should see sunny, scorching low-30s° weather all weekend; there are currently heat warnings in effect. The temp looks like it's starting to drop off in Vancouver; by Monday, look for low-20s° daytime high and a nighttime low in the low teens.

🏊 A PENNY SAVED
Canadian swimming legend Penny Oleksiak is on the mend after undergoing the first-ever surgery of her distinguished career. The seven-time Olympic medalist revealed she suffered a meniscus tear (but is getting through it with help from a particular Drake track).

🤮 TOTAL RECALL
Another week, another reason to go to your fridge and pantries ASAP to purge these recalled food items. As Sarah Rohoman reports, be on the lookout for certain brands of mushrooms, frozen herbs, vegetarian ham, chicken burgers and more.

🍂 FALL INTO AUTUMN
It's unclear why my (wonderful) colleagues refuse to let me enjoy these final precious days of summer without being reminded of what's to come. Alas, Katherine Caspersz has scouted the nation for seven awesome road trips that will be perfect for getting great views of the changing leaves this autumn.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Stand-up comedian Katt Williams turns 51. The lovely actress Salma Hayek is 56. Retired British-Canadian Olympic boxing champion Lennox Lewis is 57. Wish Ontario-raised action star (and all-around nice guy) Keanu Reeves a happy 58th birthday. TV cop Mark Harmon is 71. As the 2022 NFL season prepares to kick off, jabbering jack-o-lantern Terry Bradshaw turns 74.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — I once met Lennox Lewis and his hands felt like baseball mitts that had been left out on the front lawn over a long winter. Nice guy, though.

Let me know your go-to post-surgery recovery song at andrew.potter@narcity.com or persecute me on Twitter if you'd prefer at @andrewjoepotter.

Have a great long weekend. My colleague Kathleen will be taking the reins for a special Monday edition!