Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕
Off The Top: Ontario Premier Doug Ford blinked first in his game of chicken with striking education workers, announcing he was willing to rescind his use of the notwithstanding clause classifying the otherwise legal labour disruption as illegal — if their union agreed to end the strike and return to the bargaining table. Which is sort of like dad saying you don't have to eat your vegetables as long as you... eat your vegetables.
In Case You Missed It
1. Here's How To Wear Your Poppy In The Lead-Up To Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day (and remember: there's no "e" after the "b") is this Friday, November 11, a time for Canadians to solemnly reflect upon the sacrifices made by the country's veterans. Of course, among the greatest traditions of this time of year is the wearing of poppies — typically plastic — to commemorate the dead. As Sarah Rohoman writes, though the Royal Canadian Legion doesn't have official rules, there are protocols for how, where and when to wear your poppy — like only wearing them on the left side of your chest over your heart.
- By The Numbers: The Royal Canadian Legion expects that nearly 20 million poppies will be handed out this year.
- What Else: If you find a poppy on the ground — a common sight, given how finicky those pins can be — it's appropriate to dust it off and either keep it in storage for use at another date or respectfully dispose of it.
- My Advice: A tiny bit of duct tape balled around the end of the pin is a discrete way to stop your poppy from sliding off and/or pricking you in the chest.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
2. When It Comes To The Possibility Of Home Ownership, Ottawa Beats Toronto
As Canada's most populous province, Ontario runs the gamut when it comes to the cost of living. Thanks to a report from real estate listing company Zoocasa, we're able to get a sense of how a number of cities in the province stack up in terms of median home price versus median income. As Mira Nabulsi reports, if you're looking for an Ontario city where the average income is higher than the required income to purchase the average home, you're going to be better off looking at Ottawa, Thunder Bay or Windsor/Essex — and staying the heck out of Toronto.
- By The Numbers: Ottawa is an especially intriguing case; per the report, the average household income is about $122K, well ahead of the required $105K needed to land the average home. Compare that to Toronto, where it requires an average household income of $177K to purchase a property — but Toronto households only make $97K on average.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
3. What A Brit Really Thinks About Some Of Canada's Most Iconic Snacks
Since Narcity's own Charlie Hart first moved from the U.K. to Canada, she's been on a mission to try as many of Canada's national and regional snacks as possible — East Coast donair sauce, Quebecois poutine, and, of course, all of those potato chip (never "crisp") flavours that stores don't really carry anywhere else. So what does the Brit make of the former colony's foray into culinary excellence? Crack open a fresh can of Canada Dry and read on.
- My Take: Here are a few more must-trys for junk-food lovers: Windsor-style pizza, west coast "sushiritos," fresh, hot maple syrup poured over ice, and Toronto's venerable subway station Jamaican patties. Your mileage may vary, of course.
- READ THE FULL STORY HERE
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What Else You Need To Know Today
💰 LATE WINDFALL
Forbes released a list of some of the top-earning deceased celebrities — and the estate of Canada's own Leonard Cohen cracked the list with a whopping $55 million in 2022 so far. From more iconic musicians to ever-enduring authors, MTL Blog's Sofia Misenheimer breaks down some of the other top earners from beyond our realm.
🎭 ACTOR FACTOR
When Narcity's Patrick John Gilson came to Toronto as a teenager, he had his heart set on becoming a professional actor. Of course, as these things often go, life happened. In his own words, Patrick explains the six mistakes he made that cost him a lot — like ending up in a cult-like acting class.
🐻 COTTAGE LIFE
If only we could hibernate through Canada's snowy season. Alas, unless you're secretly a grizzly bear, you're probably better off just booking one of these awesome B.C. cabins for a cozy weekend away. Ashley Harris has the details here.
🤢 TOTAL RECALL
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency added a number of new items to its ongoing recall lists, Sarah Rohoman reports — so unless you're really into contaminants like salmonella or glass, you better check your fridges and pantries for these meats, snacks and other food items.
🎂 BIRTHDAYS
R&B star SZA turns 33 years old today. Against Me! front-woman Laura Jane Grace is 42. In the week of her 45th birthday, Canada's Jully Black is merely a six day fool. American Pie's Tara Reid is 47. Lapsed teen idol Leif Garrett is 61. She can't make us love her — though it's hardly difficult to love Bonnie Raitt as she turns 73. St. Elsewhere'sNorman Lloyd, who went out in his prime last year, would have been 108.
Thanks for reading Narcity'sCanada Morning Brief — the newsletter now made with 50% fewer shards of glass.
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!
