The announcement of Paw Patrol: The Movie’s celebrity voice cast reflects a bigger ambition for the Canadian cartoon, which was recently dogged by controversies about the apparent messaging it transmits. Criminal justice reform activist Kim Kardashian West enthused that this remote role has made her a cool mom to her kids.
Disruption for hockey customs
Las Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley let it slip during an interview that the NHL is considering limiting play for the next regular season to realigned divisions, and bubbling the seven Canadian teams. The prospect is also likely to revive domestic interest in a league that’s facing another year of being required to play without fans in the stands.
The second-wave lockdowns loom for Toronto’s more open neighbours. Rising coronavirus case counts in York and Halton mean both regions might have their bars, restaurants and gyms reverting to the modified Stage 2. And despite the federal go-ahead for Halloween, the city of Ottawa will officially discourage trick-or-treating.
Corporate cannabis conundrum
A surge of legal weed store openings accompanied the pandemic in Toronto, but there is also continued consolidation, as some earlier independent licence winners sell their stores. Meanwhile, an academic study of who’s currently profiting from the industry concludes that federal aspirations to develop a diverse industry have failed:
“How Can Linking to an Article be Immoral When the Media Source Itself Does the Posting?” Michael Geist wonders why newspapers still feed links to Facebook at the same time lobbyists convinced Ottawa that Silicon Valley steals their content. Google recently provided funds to boost some publishers ahead of any legislation.
Finally, it was worth the drive
The Old Hide House boasts of being Canada’s largest leather store, with roots dating to 1829. (Its current Acton, Ontario, location opened in 1980.) Steve Dawkins, the son of one co-founder, who directed its marketing, died on October 9 at age 61. His obituary from CBC News highlighted the commercial tagline that he came up with: