In Case You Missed It
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford were on hand in Ingersoll, Ontario, on Monday to mark the opening of Canada's first-ever fully electric vehicle manufacturing plant. The facility will produce 50K cars per year by 2025, a step toward the government's goal of all light-duty cars and passenger trucks sold in the country by 2035 being zero-emission. Here's Helena Hanson with everything from the on-paper goals to the practicalities of Canada's electric-powered future.
- Context: The interim target for EV sales is for 50% of new cars sold in Canada to be zero-emission by 2030. The overall goal is to get Canada's entire economy to be net-zero-emission by 2050.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
As of December 1, Canadians can now apply for the Canada Dental Benefit, a measure designed to offset the cost of dental care for children under 12 years old. Families with young kids that earn less than $90,000 can apply. The size of the payout rises inversely relative to the household's combined income; for instance, you would receive up to $650 if your household makes less than $70,000 per year but $260 if you make between $80,000 and $89,999. Tristan Wheeler breaks down the fine print for us and explains how you can apply.
- Context: A dental benefit was one of the issues at the heart of the NDP's decision to align with the Liberal Party earlier this year. The plan is to expand the benefit over the next two years.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
It took 170 days of negotiations, several threats of strike action — including one major walkout — but Ontario's education support workers (think: education assistants, hall monitors and custodians) have voted in support of a new contract with the provincial government. The Ontario School Board Council of Unions confirmed that 73% of its members voted for a deal that will see them receive a $1 per hour raise annually for the next four years, a hike that amounts to 3.59% annually for the average worker, reports Stuart McGinn.
- In Her Words: "We stood our ground. We stared down this government. We shook this province with our protests," said OSBCU-CUPE president Laura Walton, who confirmed that she too had voted in favour of the deal despite initial reservations.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
What Else You Need To Know Today
🎄 CHRISTMAS STAYCATION
Ontarians planning to travel over the December period should be aware that this is the final month to take advantage of the Ontario Staycation Tax Credit, an initiative implemented to help the local tourism industry bounce back from the pandemic. Patrick John Gilson breaks down how much dough you can save on hotel accommodations through the end of 2022.
⚜️ CAQ OF THE WALK
Quebec's governing CAQ party has introduced a bill to cap increases on a host of government fees at a maximum of 3% through 2026. The measure ensures that services like hunting licenses, university tuition fees and vehicle registration fees won't soar, even if the rate of inflation remains well above 3%. Thomas MacDonald explains what it all means — and why it's projected to cost $1.1 billion.
⛴️ FERRY TALES
When our Morgan Leet first moved to B.C., she soon discovered that adventure was only a boat ride away from Vancouver. The BC Ferry system is a great way to explore the province, from the charm of Bowen Island to the big-city excitement of Victoria. Here are Morgan's five must-try ferry trips.
🎥 COMING SOON
For the film industry, December is a lot like Godzilla fighting King Kong — except it's family-friendly Hollywood blockbusters versus prestigious Oscar bait. From the long-awaited (presumably by someone?) Avatar: The Way Of Water to Will Smith's slavery epic Emancipation, Josh Elliott breaks down all the big movies coming to theatres in December.
🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Two-time NBA MVP (and possible Greek demigod) Giannis Antetokounmpo turns 28 years old today. NFL flameout Johnny "Football" Manziel is 30. Comedy director/producer Judd Apatow is 55. The late Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, a proponent behind the Wii, would've been 63 today. Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park is 64. Disgraced ex-New York governor Andrew Cuomo is 65.
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Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter fervently awaiting the debut of James Cameron's alien Smurf movie.
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The VinFast VF 8 interior.Courtesy of VinFast