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“You can’t pay your mortgage in Scene points,” said Tanner Zipchen in a Toronto Star article about the end of his run as Cineplex’s pre-show movie host, which came amidst the company’s takeover by Cineworld. But the job Zipchen won never promised more. Plus, he was later put on the payroll—and he’s found new opportunities.
A more serious cinema drama
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Competition Bureau Canada will receive an official complaint, filed by Vancouver’s Rio Theatre owner Corinne Lea, following the popularity of a petition calling for a stop to arrangements that leave films off limits to independent screens until Cineplex has a turn. (Similar dealings have apparently affected the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.)
TikTok finally came to the anti-pipeline blockades. A dance video set to Doja Cat’s “Say So” was condemned by Jason Kenney as part of the Conservative backlash that’s included Andrew Scheer telling protesters to “check their privilege.” So, as the federal Liberals seek a resolution, the blockades continue to paralyze rail lines across Canada.
A blinding blue plate special
Ontario’s new licence plates rolled out with the revived slogan, “A Place to Grow,” and a white-on-blue design providing another window to bash Doug Ford. But the condemnation turned serious after the plates started hitting the road on February 1—a Kingston police officer’s criticism pushed Queen’s Park to acknowledge a problem:
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Tony Fernandez dead at 57. The Toronto Blue Jays’ all-time leader in career hits and games played was on life support due to complications from kidney disease. After he retired, Fernandez became an ordained minister. (His playoff game extra-inning home run for Cleveland in 1997 made the first colour front of the New York Times.)
From Russia with love of steak
The report of Jordan Peterson getting drug detox treatment was followed by questions about the narrative provided by his daughter, Mikhalia. But a photo tagged on Instagram as originating from a Moscow location of Butcher Steak House provided proof of life:
Justin Bieber shaved his moustache—but he promises to bring it back. The caterpillar was an apparent point of contention for his wife, Hailey, who expressed her enthusiasm for its removal on Instagram. But he threatened the facial hair’s return, lest you think Bieber ain’t nothing but a Wife Guy.
The survivor of SARSstock
Justin Timberlake had yet to enable a Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction, and the effects of a different coronavirus were still being felt in Toronto, when he performed at a 2003 concert headlined by the Rolling Stones. The opening slot found Timberlake pelted with flying bottles of urine, the experience of which remains traumatic in his mind:
Finally, a couple of things from Friday. A crucial word went missing on a newsletter item about Clearview AI: Toronto police chief Mark Saunders ordered his force to stop using it. On top of that, a glitch in the Substack system sent that 12:36 multiple times to some subscribers. Sorry about that—the send button was only pushed once!