MORNING NEWS SCRAMBLE

Hey Speedy Gonzalesessss…

Doug Ford is upping speed limits on the province’s highways to 110 km/hr where it’s safe to do so. All part of his plan to battle gridlock.  Although he admits it would be nice to get traffic moving at least 50km/hr on the 401 during rush hour.

He’ll be ok…

A Toronto Police officer was shot during a traffic stop at Yonge and Eglinton yesterday afternoon.  The 29-year-old remains in hospital.  

Cock-a-doodle do or don’t you want to have kids??

For the second year in a row, Canada recorded its lowest-ever fertility rate.  This could be due to the higher numbers of older women giving birth and the high cost of living.  Canada has now joined the group of “lowest-fertility” countries like South Korea, Spain, Japan, and Italy.

A royal hug

Princess Kate, on her first royal engagement since completing chemotherapy, is pictured giving a teen fighting a rare form of cancer an emotional embrace.  The hug… and the hope… for the millions fighting cancer.

Is a Champagne Supernova a real thing?

If you have hundreds… (or thousands) of dollars to spare, OASIS has announced a second date for their ‘reunion’ tour in T.O. next August.   Online, seats are going for four-figures, even before tickets go on sale.

The question is…will they even still be together??  Has anybody heard them lately?

What’s cuter, a rooster or a dolphin?

If you didn’t already adore dolphins - can you believe they actually smile at each other when playing?   

KEEP THE CHANGE

Cash makes a comeback

Canadians made 15% more cash transactions in 2023 compared to the year before. While most of us use digital methods of payment most of the time, bills and coins are still popular. Fear of germs might play a role in the uptick. The report by Payments Canada found the number of people who are “uncomfortable” handling cash has dropped by half since the pandemic.

Rates down, sales up!

Interest rate cuts are giving a boost to home sales in Toronto and the average sales price is going down! Sales were up 8.5% year-over-year in the GTA, with the average price down 1% to $1,107,291. 

HEALTHY START

Feeling a little less burnout these days?

You’re not alone!  A recent study finds 25% of Canadians report feeling burnout at work in the last year.  That’s down from 35% 3-years ago.  Experts are warning employers to continue to find ways to stop burnout before it starts.  Read about the survey and symptoms here.

Allergic reaction

A British medical journal has found that deadly food allergies among kids doubled in a ten-year period.  They’ve got some theories about why, but no definitive reason for it.  In Canada, Dalhousie University estimates up to 3.1-million people have at least one food allergy.

Cough up for COVID tests

Some experts are calling for more COVID testing as cold and flu season ramps up.  If you want one, you might need to hunt around for a testing kit, as some pharmacists say supply is running low.  If you’re healthy and young the treatment will likely be the same whether you have COVID or the common cold, but for vulnerable people, a positive test can change the treatment plan.

TORONTO’S TOP TABLES

Conde Nast Traveler Magazine has come up with it’s list of the 27 Best Restaurants in the city.

COCK-A-DOODLE FUN FACT

1965: Gatorade is used for the first time during a game by the Gators football team at the University of Florida, where the sports drink was invented.