Let’s hold steady before the first legal 4/20

Quick hits before a holiday weekend

A chain of Toronto cafés that sell cannabis in their back rooms continued to defy charges. Meanwhile, the city’s third legal weed store opens April 20 at Queen and Bathurst—just another step towards making pot super boring.

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The price of saving variety stores

CBC News Alerts @CBCAlerts

Ontario taxpayers could be on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties if the Doug Ford government breaches its contract with The Beer Store by moving forward with its plan to allow convenience stores to sell beer.

cbc.caDoug Ford’s ‘beer in corner stores’ plan could leave taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars | CBC NewsOntario taxpayers face footing the bill for hundred of millions of dollars in penalties if Premier Doug Ford forges ahead with his plan to allow convenience stores to sell beer.

Previously, it was estimated that Doug Ford’s beer-in-convenience-stores pledge would cost $100 million—but it’s likely to be multitudes more. Meanwhile, the Beer Store just had a provincial appeal court dismiss a $1.4-billion class action over alleged overcharging.

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The most infamous McDonald’s in Canada surrenders the late shift. A streak of complaints to Ottawa police about criminal activity at the chain’s 99 Rideau location finally pushed McD’s to take action. The restaurant’s hours will now be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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There was no pony anywhere in here

Quebec network TVA confessed that its show Vlog invented claims that a tiny pink-maned horse was roaming Montreal’s Île Sainte-Hélène. The false reports sparked a search.

Jessica Lussenhop @Lussenpop

IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THERE IS A TINY PONY WITH A PINK MANE RUNNING WILD ON AN ISLAND IN MONTREAL AND NO ONE KNOWS HOW IT GOT THERE AND THEY CAN'T CATCH IT

ctv.newsSocial media sightings of mini-horse on Ile Saint-Helene a hoaxA tiny white horse with a pink mane that was reportedly spotted a number of times wandering Ile Sainte-Helene has been proven to be a fake.

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“He Built, Then Nearly Broke, a Successful Beauty Start-Up. Can It Go on Without Him?” From the New York Times, a look at how Toronto skincare company Deciem is doing business without its late founder, Brandon Truaxe. The new chief executive, Nicola Kilner, whom Truaxe hired—and twice fired—is overseeing Deciem’s new HQ in Liberty Village.

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Alex Trebek wraps up a newsy season

“I’m feeling good,” says the Jeopardy host, six weeks after announcing he has stage four pancreatic cancer. Since then, the show found a new record-breaking contestant. Trebek plans to return for season 36 in September:

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Finally, the newsletter will return on Tuesday, April 23. You can always catch up on recent editions of 12:36 at their home on Substack.