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Winter, who?
The arrival of sweater weather sadly means saying bye to one of the best parts of summer — the bountiful farmers markets, filled with fresh, locally grown produce.
But just because the patios have been packed away and you're digging out your boots, it doesn't mean you have to give up on iconic summery fruits and veggies like vine-ripened tomatoes, juicy strawberries and crisp lettuce.
You're familiar with President's Choice (PC) — the in-house grocery brand you see in stores under the Loblaw umbrella. Well, they have been working with greenhouse growers to stock your local grocery store with the taste of summer all year round.
And Canadians seem to be pretty into it. According to Mintel, 77% of Canadian consumers agree that growing produce in climate-controlled greenhouses in Canada is a good idea (Source: Mintel Reports Canada, Fruits and Vegetables, 2026).

Protected from the weather and with the light, water and temperature dialled in just right, PC's greenhouse-grown Mixiany Cherry Tomatoes On The Vine are produced using a vine-ripening technique that allows the plant to fully nourish the tomato before they are picked — resulting in an enhanced aroma, rich flavour and often sweeter taste.
Whether you're tossing them in a salad, roasting them or snacking on them one by one and enjoying that crisp "pop," they're plump little bites of summer that you can get all year round, thanks to the near-perfect growing conditions inside the greenhouse.

Likewise, PC's greenhouse-grown strawberries (grown in Canada, including Leamington, ON, aka "the greenhouse capital of North America") grow up sweet and juicy, well outside their usual growing season, so you can still enjoy them on your French toast while the snow tumbles past your window.

Then, there are multiple varieties of lettuce that you can pick up, crisp and leafy, just like the ones at the farmers market in mid-July. And because the Live Lettuce Trio is sold with their roots still attached, it helps to maximize the flavour, maintain freshness, and prolong shelf life.
The whole reason this is possible is the combination of expertise and modern agricultural innovation across North America. By growing produce year-round in protected greenhouse environments, PC and the growers they work with can offer the quality and consistency people are looking for in their fresh produce.

It also means that you can continue to support growers even when the traditional growing season wraps up and the farmers markets wind down.
So, the next time you're bundled up against the cold and craving something that tastes a little more like patio season, you might not have to look as far as you think thanks to PC's greenhouse-grown produce.
Même si le 31 octobre tombe un samedi cette année...
Comme chaque automne, l'Halloween au Québec réserve son lot de surprises : ce ne sont pas tous les enfants qui feront la tournée des maisons le soir du 31 octobre en 2026.
Cette année, la fête des citrouilles tombe un samedi. Plutôt que de garder la date officielle, plusieurs municipalités ont annoncé que la cueillette de bonbons se fera la veille, soit le vendredi 30 octobre. Narcity en a repéré quelques-unes, surtout en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, au Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean et dans le Nord-du-Québec.
À lire également : 9 costumes d’Halloween qui vont faire fureur au Québec cette année
En Abitibi-Témiscamingue, c'est notamment le cas à Amos, où les petits monstres pourront cogner aux portes de 16 h 30 à 20 h. À Barraute, la tournée se déroulera de 16 h à 20 h, en collaboration avec les pompiers de la municipalité. Même horaire du côté de Sainte-Gertrude-Manneville, qui invite aussi les automobilistes à garder l'œil ouvert pour les enfants costumés.
À Senneterre, le changement n'a rien d'une surprise. Le conseil municipal avait déjà adopté une résolution qui fixe l'Halloween au vendredi le plus près du 31 octobre, de 17 h à 20 h, pour 2025, 2026 et 2027, a rappelé la Ville dans une publication Facebook. Le Service incendie sera présent dans les rues pour assurer la sécurité des jeunes.
Pourtant, dans la même région, Val-d’Or s’en tient à la date officielle : la surveillance dans les rues y est prévue le samedi 31 octobre, de 16 h à 20 h 30. C’est aussi le cas de Rouyn-Noranda, où la tradition du samedi le plus près du 31 octobre tombe pile sur la vraie date cette année.
Au Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean et dans le Nord-du-Québec, ce changement de date est devenu une habitude. À Dolbeau-Mistassini, la cueillette se fait un vendredi depuis 2018, une décision prise après des discussions auprès de la population et des écoles, qui trouvaient le vendredi plus pratique pour les familles qu’un soir où il y a de l’école le lendemain. Cette année, les enfants pourront donc faire le porte-à-porte le 30 octobre, de 17 h 30 à 20 h.

Plus au nord, Lebel-sur-Quévillon et Chibougamau fixent aussi leur soirée de bonbons au vendredi 30 octobre. Dans le cas de la seconde, ce n’est ni un hasard ni un simple caprice : en 2024, la Ville a sondé sa population sur la formule à privilégier. La majorité ayant voté pour le vendredi, le conseil municipal en a fait la règle : depuis, la collecte a lieu chaque année le vendredi le plus près du 31 octobre. La Ville a même dû le rappeler en commentaire à quelques internautes surpris par la date.
Cette liste n’est pas exhaustive, et de nombreuses municipalités maintiennent la tradition du 31 octobre. Avant de sortir les costumes, vérifie auprès de ta municipalité ou sur ses réseaux sociaux pour savoir ce qui t’attend dans ton quartier en 2026.
Et si tu as de la famille dans une ville qui devance la fête, tu pourrais bien faire le plein de bonbons deux soirs de suite!
New Brunswick reverses decision to axe long‑standing practice
After a string of public complaints about the Holt government’s decision to cancel free public access to sand, the province has reversed course.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Chuck Chaisson confirmed that residents would still have access to free sand this winter.
“Sand will continue to be available for residential use at DTI depots that have traditionally offered it to their communities,” said Chaisson.
For two weeks, people took to social media to complain about the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure's plan to stop public access to sand.
Opposition MLAs, municipal leaders, and residents criticized the decision, warning it could increase slip‑and‑fall risks for seniors and rural homeowners.
Senior Director and Media Relations, Bruce MacFarlane, said safety remains the department’s top priority.
“Depots that have maintained offering public access to winter sand will continue to do so outside the depot gates for the upcoming winter season and going forward, where it is safe to do so,” said MacFarlane.
MacFarlane stressed that the sand is for residential use only, and contractors and municipalities must obtain material elsewhere. He also said that depots are active worksites with heavy equipment in operation and urged caution when accessing them.
Woodstock‑Hartland MLA Bill Hogan praised residents who pushed back against the proposed cancellation.
“To those of you who contacted the Minister or Premier on cutting the sand program, congratulations. This time they listened,” said Hogan.
With files from James Ness
Copyright 2026, River Valley Sun. All rights reserved.
Paige Morgan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, River Valley Sun.