8 Things You Need To Know For September 21

Happy last day of summer (boooo!) — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

Off The Top: Now that TIFF is behind us, it's time to break down what really matters. No, not that 252 films were screened overall — including 37% directed by women and 38% by BIPOC folk, as one release touts; the big revelation is that maybe only half of the celebs walking the red carpet actually knew how to pronounce "Toronto" the right way.

In Case You Missed It

1. What Canada Needs To Know Ahead Of Hurricane Fiona's Arrival

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season has been upon us for a while now, but Hurricane Fiona figures to be the first major storm of the year in Canada. The still-developing storm has left a wake of destruction across the Caribbean, particularly Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic. Environment Canada has issued a tropical storm statement advising the Maritimes and Quebec to brace for "a potentially severe event" in the days to come, with Fiona expected to impact land areas this Saturday. Lisa Belmonte breaks down just how powerful the scientists believe Fiona's winds could become.

• Overnight Update: Since this story went live yesterday, Hurricane Fiona has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm.
• What That Means: If you live in the Maritimes or parts of eastern Quebec, anticipate the possibility of flooding, power outages and overall property damage this weekend and plan accordingly.

2. Canada's Travel Restrictions Could Reportedly Soon Be Kaput

The Canadian government could soon bring the current bevy of international travel restrictions to an end — including, potentially, the sunsetting of the ArriveCAN app, sources told CBC and Global News, according to Helena Hanson. The Public Health Agency of Canada says no final decision has been made — those calls are still the feds' to make. Technically, the current restrictions would have to be extended for them to continue; they're presently set to expire on September 30 anyway.

• Reminder: While outbound travel for unvaccinated Canadians was restored this summer, foreign nationals still need to be fully vaccinated to enter the country. All travellers also have to report their vaccination status and plans through ArriveCAN, and random mandatory testing remains in effect at both land borders and airports.

3. The Feds Have Called 'Take-Backsies' On CERB & Other Pandemic Benefits

Canadians who received both the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and employment insurance, as well as other pandemic-era benefits, could be subject to repayments to the government, the Canada Revenue Agency tells our Tristan Wheeler. The issue is that while CERB was being rolled out during the early months of the pandemic back in 2020, it was meant to replace EI — but some Canadians accidentally received both benefits. Here's what you need to know.

• OK... So What? While no one will have to pay interest on what they received, the government could put a lien on your property or the CRA could take legal action if the unjustified benefits aren't repaid.

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

✈️ PLANE ENGLISH
As part of their effort to hit net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Air Canada announced the purchase of 30 new electric hybrid aircraft. As MTL Blog's Willa Holt reports, they're pretty tiny, carrying just 30 passengers each, meaning they'll mostly be tasked with regional routes when they take the skies by 2028 (at the earliest).

👻 HAUNT JAUNT
Our own Katherine Caspersz recently checked out one of Toronto's notoriously haunted locales — the Keg Mansion on Jarvis Street. After chatting with her server about some of the supposedly paranormal activity that has been witnessed over the years, Katherine said she felt chills, which is either confirmation of the building's haunted history or an indication that she had some bad seafood.

🎶 MIGHTY MUSIC
The 2022 Polaris Music Prize returned to an in-person gala for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19, with Montreal-based artist Pierre Kwenders collecting the top prize for his album José Louis and the Paradox of Love, a unique mix of pop, electronic and world music. Willa Holt rounds up the results from this week's announcement.

🏀 ENTER SANDMAN
The platonic love triangle between comedy icon Adam Sandler, basketball player Juancho Hernangomez and the city of Toronto continues to grow. Hernangomez, who starred alongside Sandler in the 2022 drama Hustle and subsequently signed a contract with the Toronto Raptors, played a pivotal role in Spain's championship at the EuroBasket 2022 over the weekend, earning a big shoutout from recent temporary Yorkville resident Sandler. Patrick John Gilson breaks it all down for us.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Mmm, whatcha say? Pop star Jason Derulo turns 33 years old today. After giving up The Simple Life for a quiet life, Nicole Richie is living drama-free at 41. Oasis vocalist Liam Gallagher hits the half-century mark today; wonder if Noel will give him a call? Faith Hill turns 55. Comedy all-timer Bill Murray is 72 (and is probably currently crashing a wedding in Bulgaria). Horror master Stephen King is 75. Legendary Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones was born on this day in 1912.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — where the end of summer 2022 really just marks the start of something even bigger (tonight's premiere of the 43rd season of Survivor).

What's your favourite old-school Bugs Bunny cartoon? I'm partial to Rabbit of Seville. Let me know yours 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!