Morning Brief: Daylight Saving Time, A Macabre Dog Tribute & More

We did it; TGIF — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: A man in China recently won the equivalent of $30 million in the lottery but doesn't plan on telling his wife or children so that they don't become lazy — though they might catch on once they see him walking around in a top hat and white spats.

In Case You Missed It

1. Daylight Saving Time Is Upon Us — Unless You're In These Parts Of Canada

When the clock first strikes 2 a.m. early Sunday morning, it will immediately fall back to 1 a.m., giving sleepers (and late-night bar patrons) an extra hour and (supposedly) appeasing farmers. Or something like that. To be honest, it's not entirely clear why most of Canada insists on following along with daylight saving time. As a matter of fact, however, not everywhere in Canada observes the twice-annual time change, Sarah Rohoman writes. Here are the parts of the country that have wisely figured out that having sunlight deeper into winter evenings can't possibly be a bad thing.

• Go Deeper: Saskatchewan doesn't typically get a ton of appreciation in this newsletter but you have to give credit where it's due; most of the prairie province doesn't observe DST.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. Why You Should Consider Switching To Netflix's Cheaper Ad-Supported Service

With the introduction of a cheaper, ad-supported tier this month, Netflix now officially offers four plans in Canada with varying levels of service. The newest setup is called Basic With Ads and costs $5.99 a month — easily the cheapest of the streaming giant's options. Our Tristan Wheeler took the new service for a spin and experienced about 45 seconds of ads interspersed among nearly two hours of streaming, presenting a compelling case for the new service.

• My Take: The unlisted, $0-a-month Netflix payment plan remains the best deal in streaming — just as long as your ex-girlfriend doesn't change her password.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. Sugar Plum Cheese Danish! Gingerbread Loaf! Starbucks' Holiday Menus Are Here

Hang up the wreaths and crank the Mariah Carey, holiday season is apparently upon us — and what more proof do you need than Starbucks rolling out their festive menu. However, the offerings in Canada aren't quite the same as what our southern neighbours experience. In fact, Katherine Caspersz notes that the Canadian menu, which features sugar-coma-inducing drinks like Caramel Brûlé and Chestnut Praline lattes, is very different. Check out what Starbucks is offering on either side of the border.

• My Take: Celebrate the end-of-year holiday season however you like but I do wish we allowed a bit more space for Remembrance Day to breath before going all-in on the Christmas motifs.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

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What Else You Need To Know Today

🐕 DOG DAYS
In a sensationally odd turn of events, a family in Australia decided that instead of saying goodbye to their beloved golden retriever that they would hire a taxidermy company to essentially turn the deceased critter into a rug. Predictably, people are quite torn over whether this is a lovely gesture or the most unsettling thing they've ever seen, Sameen Chaudhry writes.

🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
At a listing price of just $375,000, you could pretty much buy a portal write back to the 1950s. This three-bedrooms, two-bathroom house in Nova Scotia is a steal if you can stomach some aggressively dated decor, writes Helena Hanson. You kind of have to see it for yourself.

🤢 SPA SPAT
The Thermëa Spa Village in Whitby, Ontario, is being sued by nearly 50 people after a litany of visitors came down with bacteria infection, Madeline Forsyth reports. The issue is linked to a new saltwater pool at the spa. Here's what you need to know.

📌 JOB BOARD
Alberta's government is currently looking to fill a number of positions — and a lot of the gigs pull in over $100K a year. Charlie Hart scoured the postings so you don't have to; from biologists to wildfire analysts, here are six jobs you should take a look at if you're interested in heading out to the wild rose province.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
All-time kick return legend Devin Hester turns 40 years old today. Reality TV star Bethenny Frankel is 52. Matthew McConaughey and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs both turn 53; as far as we can tell, they are not twins. Survivor host Jeff Probst and karate enthusiast Ralph Macchio are both 61 today. The late Walter Cronkite was born on this day in 1916.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — please don't turn the writer of this newsletter into decor when he dies.

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 weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!