Morning Brief: Winter Coat Shopping, The BTS Hiatus & More

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: After a stretch in which he's embraced anti-Black and anti-Semitic rhetoric, Ye — the artist formerly known as Kanye West — has reached an agreement to buy the conservative, anti-cancellation social media platform Parler. As a general rule, you never want to make Elon Musk and his on-and-off-and-on-again pursuit of owning Twitter seem level-headed by comparison.

In Case You Missed It

1. POV: Shopping For Winter Clothes For The First Time Is The Absolute Worst

Having lived for many years in the Middle East, Narcity's Janice Rodrigues has previously written about the massive adjustment of acclimatizing to life in Canada. Now that the weather is starting to dip toward the icy winds of winter, Janice knew it was time to finally invest in a great go-to winter coat. But what are the rules of engagement when it comes to getting a look that is a) affordable, b) functional and c) actually still looks kind of nice? Here's Janice's review of the winter coat shopping experience.

• My Take: By increasing your beer intake toward the end of summer, then transitioning into pumpkin-spiced baked goods around late September, you should possess enough natural insulation to stave off the harshest southern Ontario winter.
• Have Your Say: Send me your winter shopping tips at [email protected] and I'll share the best submissions.

2. Canada's Sue Johanson Taught Us Everything About Sex (& Then Some)

For those who didn't learn everything they ever wanted to know about sex (but were afraid to ask) from watching The Latin Channel past midnight on a Friday, Sue Johanson was the ultimate sex educator. The grandmotherly Canadian ruled 90s and early 00s airwaves with matter-of-fact discussions of... things you probably wouldn't talk to your own grandma about. Sarah Rohoman tracked down some of Johanson's bluntest responses to listener questions — like whether you should [redacted] inside a [redacted] — that we can't believe actually made it on the air nearly 30 years ago.

• What Else? There's a new documentary called Sex with Sue about the now-92-year-old Johanson and her incredible run out now.

3. How To Optimize Your Small Business Or Side Hustle With 7 Simple Tricks

These days, it seems like practically everyone is a small-business owner in one way or another. Whether you're a full-time entrepreneur or supplementing your income with a side hustle, there are a number of really easy tips and tricks to keep in mind to get the most out of your business. From upgrading your website to tapping into community resources, Brittany Barber breaks down seven things every Canadian small-business owner needs to know.

HEY YOU! You should sign up for the email version of the Canada Morning Briefright here. It's better than this version. Trust me.

What Else You Need To Know Today

🇰🇷 K-POP 'TIL YOU DROP
The management team behind South Korean boyband BTS, one of the world's most popular musical acts, has confirmed that the seven-member group is going on hiatus to fulfill their country's mandatory 18-month military service requirement. Josh Elliott reports that the band will look to reform in 2025.

🏫 NEW SCHOOL
Ontario may very well soon have a new challenger for the title of Canada's most scenic campus. The University of Niagara Falls Canada has received provincial approval to welcome its first class of students in 2024. The upstart post-secondary school can offer five programs to start, including two bachelor programs and three master degrees, Mira Nabulsi writes.

📌 JOB BOARD
If your life is stuck on the proverbial tarmac, it might be time to take off in a new career direction. Katherine Caspersz scoured Canada's job boards and found six airlines currently hiring — and they pretty much all offer some awesome perks for employees. From major carriers to budget upstarts, check out the full list.

🗣️ VAN SLANG
Our Ashley Harris has lived in Vancouver her whole life — so you can excuse her if she forgets that tourists and visitors might not be in the know when it comes to local slang. If you're unfamiliar with PoCo, Kits or the Grind, check out this list of eight local phrases before your next trip to Van City.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner turns 32 years old today; she has been in detention in Russia on trumped up drug charges for eight months now. Zac Efron is 35. French action figure Jean-Claude Van Damme is 62. Eighteen-time Grand Slam victor Martina Navratilova turns 66. Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore is 76. The late Pierre Trudeau was born on this day in 1919.

Thanks for reading Narcity'sCanada Morning Brief — the one newsletter to rule them all, one newsletter to find them; one newsletter to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Is my suggested branding of Ripley's Graduate or Not! superior to Niagara Falls U? Let me know your thoughts at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter if you'd prefer at @andrewjoepotter.

Have a great day and I will see you back here tomorrow!