Please note that there will be no newsletter published on Monday, May 20, due to the Victoria Day holiday. Have a great long weekend! | |
In this issue...
• Are Canadians about to lose daily mail delivery service?
• CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Brands that have left Canada (repeat episode)
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• TikTok not giving up without a legal battle royal over possible ban in United States
• Canadians will have to wait until 2027 to see King Charles on $20 bills
• 1,100+ copies sold! #1 bestseller on Amazon: Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed last week
• Next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, May 27
... and trivia, quotes, community events and more!
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Are Canadians about to lose daily mail delivery service?
It was bound to happen. Canada Post is seeking to reduce daily delivery of mail to Canadians from five days per week. It will probably happen - and it will be the end of an era. And yes, probably inevitable.
Article excerpt: "Canada Post wants the federal government to consider changing the legislation that requires it to deliver letter mail daily - a mandate the Crown corporation says no longer reflects modern realities and is causing it to lose money.
'If you have a community mailbox, a lot of people check it once or twice a week,' said Jon Hamilton, vice-president of communications at Canada Post.
'We need to work with government to ensure the regulatory framework aligns with today's needs.'
The postal charter, which dictates how frequently Canada Post delivers mail, hasn't undergone any significant changes since it was created in 2009, Hamilton said.
'That was back when Netflix was delivering DVDs through the mail. The world has changed a lot,' Hamilton said.
Canada Post's annual report, released last Friday, showed the struggling Crown corporation lost $748 million last year before tax - and a whopping $3 billion over the last six years. The company blames its plight on the continued decline in mail revenue and warns of even larger and unsustainable losses if its operating model doesn't undergo major changes.
Unlike some other Crown corporations, Canada Post isn't funded by taxpayers. It needs to sustain itself through profits."
While I fully acknowledge that this will not affect most people, many businesses - including me - receive payments from clients and customers via cheque. Less frequent delivery means waiting for payment. Enough to harm a business? Probably not, but it's no fun nevertheless. The writing appears to be on the wall.
Read: Should your mail be delivered daily? Canada Post wants Ottawa to rethink its mandate.
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CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Brands that have left Canada
The latest episode of CBC Radio's Under the Influence with host Terry O'Reilly was a rerun of the first episode of the season originally aired on January 4 that looked at brands that have left Canada.
• May 9, 2024 - Disappearing Acts: When Popular Brands Are Discontinued. Synopsis: "To kick off our 2024 season, we look at a strange phenomenon happening in Canada. Well-established brands are suddenly leaving the country. Kleenex is leaving after nearly 100 years. Skippy Peanut Butter has skipped the country after nearly 90 years. And KFC actually held a funeral for their terrible-tasting French fries. What’s happening up here? Find out." Click here to listen to the episode. Click here for episode's website post.
Click here for the show's website and here for the show's podcast archive.
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TikTok not giving up without a legal battle royal over possible ban in United States
A lot of lawyers will get rich off this one! It will be an epic legal battle for the ages as the U.S. is in a showdown with TikTok to ban it in the country. TikTok is fighting back, and from everything I've heard they may very well fend off attempts to get rid of the platform.
Article excerpt: "China-based ByteDance Ltd. made clear it won’t comply with a new U.S. law requiring it to sell its popular TikTok video-sharing app, setting up what likely will be a prolonged court battle pitting free-speech rights against national-security interests that could end up at the Supreme Court.
The company on Tuesday filed a legal challenge to the measure signed by President Joe Biden last month that will ban the app in the U.S. if ByteDance hasn’t divested from TikTok by Jan. 19 - an ultimatum meant to address national security concerns that the Chinese government could access user data or influence what’s seen on the platform.
The lawsuit indicates that ByteDance doesn’t have any intention of trying to find a buyer for TikTok as the deadline approaches. Instead, ByteDance wants the law declared unconstitutional, saying it violates the First Amendment and represents an illegal punishment without due process or a presidential finding that the app is a national security threat.
'If the law is treated as an effective ban on operating the platform, it will face considerable skepticism in court,' said Timothy Zick, a constitutional law professor at William & Mary Law School."
Personally, I love TikTok. I watch it for entertainment and education. There are a lot of really interesting creators out there. Of course, the bad actors are there, too, and I avoid them. I can't speak for the allegations of back-end spying, but as far as what is being created, I think it would truly be a shame to lose (most of) it.
Read: TikTok lawsuit sets stage for prolonged legal fight over U.S. ban.
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Canadians will have to wait until 2027 to see King Charles on $20 bills
If you're a Canadian who's been hoping to find a $20 bill bearing the likeness of King Charles III, you'll have to wait a bit longer... like three years longer!
Article excerpt:"Changes are coming to Canadian money as the country is set to get a new $20 bill!
The Bank of Canada recently revealed new details about the banknote that will King Charles - including when you'll be able to get it.
May 6, 2024, marked the one-year anniversary of the coronation of King Charles III.
So, the Bank of Canada gave an update about the progress of designing a new $20 banknote to reflect Canada's reigning monarch.
The new bill will feature a portrait of King Charles instead of Queen Elizabeth II, who has been on the Canadian $20 bill for 70 years.
Another new design for the $20 banknote is the orientation - it will be vertical instead of the traditional horizontal design, just like the current $10 bill in Canada.
Like the current $20 banknote, the new bill will made of polymer, be mostly green in colour, and include the Canadian National Vimy Memorial on the back.
According to the Bank of Canada, the process of issuing new bills involves research and development, design, and production.
Canada's Minister of Finance - currently Chrystia Freeland - approves the 'form and material' of all new banknotes including whose portrait is used.
It's expected that the new $20 bill featuring King Charles will go into circulation in early 2027."
Doesn't three years seem a bit excessive? By then, it will be five years since he became the monarch upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Surely, the Royal Canadian Mint can move faster than that. They are accustomed to changing currency. It's not the first time it's happened. It seems a bit disrespectful, quite frankly. With that said, I doubt many Canadians are losing any sleep over it.
Read: Canada's new vertical $20 bill features King Charles and here's when you'll get it. Related: King Charles won't be featured on $20 bills until 2027, Bank of Canada says.
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1,100+ copies sold! #1 bestseller on Amazon: Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1
My very first book is now available for purchase! Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 1 is a compilation of recipes gathered from members of the Acadian Poutine Râpée Facebook Group and elsewhere.
There are more than 100 recipes available in the book - many of which are family recipes that are impossible to find! Enjoy the extra bonuses of exclusive goodies from Marven's Biscuits and Cy's Seafood Restaurant, too - both iconic food legends in Moncton, New Brunswick!
On March 21, the book reached #2 on Amazon Canada bestsellers list for ALL books in Canada.
The print edition and ebook (Kindle) are available exclusively on Amazon. Click on the country you live in to visit the appropriate site for purchase:
• Amazon Canada
• Amazon U.S.
• Kobo.com (for Kobo ebook readers)
I'm also pleased to announce that the next two books in the series will be released this year. Acadian Recipes and More - Volume 2 and Acadian Recipes and More - Holidays. Stay tuned!
This is a great book for delicious homestyle recipes. Enjoy!
NEW: A French version of the book will be released very soon!
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Trivia: Did you know?
The heaviest organ of the human body is not the heart. It's not the brain. And it's not even the lungs.
The largest organ of the human body is, in fact, the skin. (Yes, the skin is considered an organ.)
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Quotes of note
• 1. "We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist."
- Queen Victoria (1819-1901) (see photo)
• 2. "Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."
- Warren Buffett
• 3. "Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age."
- Booth Tarkington
• 4. "Free speech is one of the most important things to me, but I think it gets confusing when it comes to offense. Because for one, just because you have the right to say anything, it doesn't mean you have to."
- Ricky Gervais
• 5. "No man is rich enough to buy back his past."
- Oscar Wilde
• 6. "There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met."
- William Butler Yeats
• 7. "Being tall is an advantage, especially in business. People will always remember you. And if you're in a crowd, you'll always have some clean air to breathe."
- Julia Child
• 8. "Old people shouldn’t eat health foods. They need all the preservatives they can get."
- Robert Orben
• 9. "Cocaine is God's way of saying you make too much money."
- Robin Williams
• 10. "Chefs are nutters. They're all self-obsessed, delicate, dainty, insecure little souls and absolute psychopaths. Every last one of them."
- Gordon Ramsay
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Next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night: Monday, May 27
The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night will be held at St. Louis Bar & Grill, 1405 Mountain Road, Moncton, on Monday, May 27, beginning at 6:30 p.m. $10 per person (cash only). Click here for the Facebook event listing.
Participants may play as teams or individuals. The winning team gets 50% of the door receipts as their prize.
It is strongly suggested that participants arrive by 5:15-5:30 p.m. for a seat. Trivia begins at 6:30 p.m. sharp and is usually over by 8 p.m. Everyone welcome!
Please note that restaurant reservations are NOT available for this event. First come, first served. Limited seating of approximately 50 guests.
Participants may bring an optional non-perishable food item (box of granola bars, Kraft Dinner, cereal, etc.) for distribution at Krista Richard's Community Sports Program events, of which the Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club is a sponsor. Any donations will be gratefully received and provided to Krista for distribution to her program participants (school-aged children from Moncton-area schools).
Since Rotary Trivia Nights began in 2016, the Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club has donated nearly $20,000 to Atlantic Wellness, Karing Kitchen, Ray of Hope Kitchen, Salvus Clinic, The Humanity Project, BGC Moncton (Moncton Boys & Girls Club), Junior Achievement New Brunswick, Project Linus - Moncton Chapter, and Krista Richard's Community Sports Program, among others. During the last Rotary Trivia Night season (September 2022 to May 2023), more than $6,000 was raised.
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club gratefully acknowledges the kind and generous sponsorship of its restaurant partner, St. Louis Bar & Grill.
See you on Monday, May 27!
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Spring is here! Enjoy the great outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In May, the group is walking on the Dobson Trail in Riverview, meeting at the parking lot on Quinn Court.
In June, the group moves to Mapleton Park, meeting at the Rotary Lodge parking lot.
The group meets for walks every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. New participants are always welcome! For more information, please contact Wayne Harrigan at 506-386-2187 or via email.
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About this newsletter
Brian Cormier's Weekly Update is distributed weekly from September to June via email to more than 500 subscribers in addition to many others who access it online. If you're reading this newsletter online and want to subscribe, please email me, fill out the subscription form on my website, or subscribe via the "Join Our Email List" button at the top of the newsletter (if you're viewing this in a browser.) This newsletter is not published in July and August and on holidays.
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