Like vinyl records, lunar exploration is a 1960s fave that’s back in a big way. For anyone who tries to get by with only **speaking English on vacation, Meta has introduced new technology that could help you keep the ball rolling. For sale: One lightly used sandwich chain. Price tag: About ten billion dollars. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 23, 2023•8 min
In today’s episode of ‘Canadian housing gone wrong’: A 2021 Montréal bylaw meant to lead to the construction of over 1,200 new social housing units has produced zero. In the first five months of the year, overall global fine art sales have dropped by 14% compared to the same time last year, while sales at the Big Three Auction houses (Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips) dropped a whopping 20%, per Artnet. Folks bitten by the travel bug are running into a major problem this year: Travelling is fr...
Aug 22, 2023•9 min
British Columbia introduced travel restrictions and expanded evacuation orders over the weekend as wildfires continue to rage in the province, but officials expressed optimism yesterday that fire crews were turning the corner in the battle to contain the blazes. Big Tech may not have any interest in complying with Canada’s recent attempts to regulate them, but the European Union is having more luck. Yesterday, Spain beat England 1-0 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final, topping off a tournament t...
Aug 21, 2023•8 min
Someone call Ramit Sethi from Netflix’s How To Get Rich, because Canadian cities need financial rescuing. Looking to cut back on drinking? There’s an app for that. It’s been about a year since a pair of US laws triggered a flood of incentives for investments in clean energy production and semiconductor manufacturing. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 18, 2023•24 min
More Germans could soon be putting down the stein of pilsner in favour of der marihuana-zigarette as the country approaches recreational weed legalization. You’re probably already letting AI autocomplete your sentences or choose what you watch next on Netflix… but would you lean on a chatbot to give you life advice? Are you a lonely heart? Do you have some serious cash burning a hole in your pocket but aren’t famous enough to get on Raya? Well, now you’re in luck. Celebrating something? Let us k...
Aug 17, 2023•7 min
With a new mandate to cut billions in federal spending, cabinet members might have to skip the icebreakers and head straight to the whiteboard at their team retreat next week. You can now add ‘higher prices’ to the list of reasons to put off your next visit to the dentist, alongside ‘awkward small talk’ and ‘pointy tools.’ We regret to inform you that it’s finally time to talk about Donald Trump’s legal troubles. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 16, 2023•7 min
Nearly nine months after the release of ChatGPT, Canada is progressing toward increasing safety and transparency around generative AI. With rents hitting record highs and the school year incoming, start-ups are helping students find rooms where they can live, study, and hang posters of Quentin Tarantino movies. Waters in Nova Scotia were glowing pink last Thursday, and no, it wasn’t a viral marketing stunt for Pepto-Bismol or an alien menace that crash-landed into the sea. Celebrating something?...
Aug 15, 2023•9 min
Nothing quite says romance in the year 2023 like sending sweet nothings to an AI chatbot. In the past month, Canadians have broken Guinness World Records for the deepest underwater model photoshoot (6.4 metres), most pancakes served in eight hours (17,182 flapjacks) and, most impressively, the largest dinosaur costume dance party (1,187 costumed dinos). The US is stepping up its effort to cripple China’s advanced high-tech sectors. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typefor...
Aug 14, 2023•9 min
Good luck, indeed. As we enter the final day of ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Toronto, we wish luck to anyone trying to snag a ticket… but also caution you not to get your hopes up. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas… unless it's at this weekend’s AI hacking competition in the City of Sin. The US is stepping up its effort to cripple China’s advanced high-tech sectors. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 11, 2023•9 min
Whom amongst us hasn’t spent a little too much on something we really wanted? The federal government certainly has on its newest pipeline. If you’ve ever wanted to hear Iron Maiden sing Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off,” you may soon be in luck. While here in Canada we contend with eye-popping price increases, on the other side of the world, people in China are facing a different pricing problem: Deflation. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 10, 2023•8 min
With one year to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, the event’s budget has already ballooned to €8.3 billion, up from an estimated €6.8 billion in initial costs. Thinking of extending the long weekend without taking time off work? You’re not alone. There’s nothing like waking up after a long weekend to learn that while you were busy throwing small bean bags onto a wooden board for points, scientists were making history. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdY...
Aug 09, 2023•9 min
With one year to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, the event’s budget has already ballooned to €8.3 billion, up from an estimated €6.8 billion in initial costs. Thinking of extending the long weekend without taking time off work? You’re not alone. There’s nothing like waking up after a long weekend to learn that while you were busy throwing small bean bags onto a wooden board for points, scientists were making history. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdY...
Aug 08, 2023•9 min
Wind and solar are the [fastest-growing sources](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/12/wind-and-solar-generated-a-record-amount-of-global-power-in-2022.html#:~:text=Solar was the fastest-growing,electricity demand of South Africa.) of electricity in the world. Too fast, if you ask Alberta. Many contests over the years have been dubbed the “Fight of the Century,” but Walmart vs. Amazon might live up to that hyperbole, at least on the e-commerce front. TikTokers (who else?) have found a “natural” altern...
Aug 04, 2023•8 min
Fitch Ratings has downgraded America's credit rating from the highest-possible “AAA” to a meagre “AA+”... just like its northern neighbour. “Four-score and seven years ago, I snagged a great deal on Marketplace!” In space, no one can hear you scream… about how great your business venture is going! Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 03, 2023•8 min
Saudi Arabia may have been snubbed by soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé, but it can keep its head up knowing that its foray into mining is taking off. Is your ‘type’ an accomplished tech professional with a six-figure salary? Then you might have to battle it out with Canada’s immigration office. Aliens: Terrifying threat from beyond the stars… or untapped economic opportunity? Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 02, 2023•8 min
Saudi Arabia may have been snubbed by soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé, but it can keep its head up knowing that its foray into mining is taking off. Is your ‘type’ an accomplished tech professional with a six-figure salary? Then you might have to battle it out with Canada’s immigration office. Aliens: Terrifying threat from beyond the stars… or untapped economic opportunity? Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Aug 01, 2023•9 min
A new train system launching today in Montreal is set to reshape how people get around the city—and could become a proof of concept for a new way of building infrastructure elsewhere in the country. The Associated Press might’ve been the first news outlet to cut an AI licensing deal, but they made sure they weren’t giving OpenAI an early-bird discount. In Central America, El Salvador’s president has become more popular than the Pope—and no, it’s not because he decided to make Bitcoin legal tende...
Jul 31, 2023•9 min
Canada’s top high-end winterwear brand (that’s named after an aggressive northern waterfowl) is tapping into the growing consumer desire to get thrifty. Inflation is cooling across the Western world, but don’t grab your party hats just yet. Like a friend who tells you their birthday bash is going to be the wildest party ever, Tesla is facing accusations of over-exaggeration. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 28, 2023•7 min
Almost 80% of Canada’s ministers are new or in a new role… all with the hopes of making a dent in the country’s most pressing issues ahead of the next election. According to a new TD Economics report, Canada's historic population growth risks exacerbating the country’s biggest problem areas. As the demand for experiences like travel, movie passes, and concert tickets soars, companies are taking advantage by leaning into ‘dynamic pricing.’ Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak....
Jul 27, 2023•7 min
In one of the most significant rebrand in the history of rebrands, Twitter is now X. Like baggy clothes and country music, zoning laws are having a moment this year. Since time immemorial, our eyes have had one use: To see things. Now, they finally have a higher purpose… generating crypto tokens! Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 26, 2023•9 min
Riding the comeback wave this year are cargo pants, vinyl records and… cruises? To keep emergency rooms open, hospitals are dropping stacks on private nurses. Forget crypto, the new get-rich-quick strategy is playing pro soccer in Saudi Arabia. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 25, 2023•9 min
Get ready to cross some more squares off your extreme weather bingo card, because El Niño is here. If you followed in Jay Z’s footsteps and locked up some expensive bottles of wine as a retirement investment, you might be looking for a refund right about now. In addition to adding oat milk and Aperol Spritzes to their in-flight menu, Air Canada is making moves to add more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We don’t really do clickbait here, but… click to watch 488 good dogs. Celebrating something?...
Jul 24, 2023•8 min
Two of the year’s biggest films, Oppenheimer (about the father of the atomic bomb) and Barbie (about, well, Barbie), are out in theatres and making for an unlikely double feature. Google is taking a break from its fight with Canadian publishers to showcase its brand-new toy for journalists: An AI helper. The Mounties appear on the verge of a major shakeup—and no, it doesn’t involve ditching the iconic Red Serge jackets and campaign hats. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.t...
Jul 21, 2023•10 min
At the age of 156, Canada is going through a rebellious phase. Who’s leading the return-to-office resistance? It’s not ‘entitled’ millennials, but their bosses. The world’s biggest rodeo isn’t all barrel racing and politicians flipping pancakes but an opportunity for Calgary to lure residents and investors to the city. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 20, 2023•8 min
Temperatures are still hot, but at least inflation is cooling. After years of losing talent to the US (also known as ‘brain drain’), Canada is now looking to lure back some of those workers. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 19, 2023•9 min
As Canadian wildfires place millions of Americans under air quality advisories again this week, get ready for our southern neighbours to get mad at us all over again. If you ask US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the debt problems facing low-income countries are a problem for the global economy. Nike is calling it quits on a 20-year relationship with Hockey Canada. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 18, 2023•8 min
Somewhere Dolly Parton must be celebrating because the 9-to-5 could be history, new data suggests. Companies may be cutting back on employee perks, but top executives have been a notable exception. Don your Kangol hat, crack open a Foster’s, and prepare to say “g’day mate,” because Australian leaders are coming to Canada. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 17, 2023•8 min
After nearly two weeks of striking, the union representing BC port workers reached a tentative four-year deal with employers to re-open Canada’s westernmost ports. For the first time in 63 years, Hollywood actors and writers are striking at the same time. It’s an almost unheard-of event driven by the unprecedented advances of AI and streaming. Looking to buy a car? With prices like these, we’d recommend walking. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 14, 2023•8 min
Tiff Macklem and the Bank of Canada (BoC) did what everyone expected and raised Canada’s overnight interest rate by 0.25% up to 5%—the highest since 2001. On this season of The Canadian Bank Bachelorette, 177-year-old Laurentian is looking for that perfect deep-pocketed suitor to give it the final rose. Canada has reportedly launched one of the first-ever probes into Nike’s alleged use of forced labour abroad. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 13, 2023•9 min
Another rate decision brings T-Mack back into the hot seat. What do Earth’s lower atmosphere and Canada’s major highways have in common? Humanity could soon enter a new geological epoch, and it all starts in Canada. Celebrating something? Let us know here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/MNdYA3TO
Jul 12, 2023•9 min
