Announcements
Have you ever tried to recreate the fabled Big Mac sauce from McDonald’s Canada? I know I have. And it seems no matter how many times you add or subtract a little bit of vinegar here, a 1/4 tsp. of BBQ sauce there, you can never seem to get it just right. There’s always something that’s just off the mark. Well, soon your McDonald’s sauce craving heart will want no more, as McDonald’s Canada announced yesterday that they’re sauces, including Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish and McChicken, are going to be made available in grocery stores, and very soon.
The announcement came on their Twitter and Instagram, where the company gave no firm date but said to expect the sauces to be on your shelves by “this spring”.
Have you ever tried to make McDonald’s ‘secret sauces’ and will you be lining up to grab these goodies off the shelves when they launch in your local grocery store?
The Sony PlayStation Store Canada is having a new sale where you can save up to 90% off the original price of many different games! Sony PlayStation Store Canada sale is valid until, March 28, 2017, and include:
PS4:
- Save 70% on God of War III Remastered, $5.99
- Save 50% on Until Dawn, $14.99
- Save 75% on Flowers, $1.95
- Save 60% on Journey, $5.99
- Save 80% on The Unfinished Swan, $2.99
- Save 75% on Fat Princess Adventures, $3.74
- and More
PS3:
- Save 75% on Twisted Metal, $3.37
- Save 50% on inFAMOUS 2, $6.49
- Save 50% on BEYOND: Two Souls, $6.49
- Save 90% on Fat Princess, $1.34
- Save 75% on God of War Collection, $3.24
- Save 75% on rain, $3.74
- Save 60% on Puppeteer, $5.99
- and More
Click here to see all the deals!
The five little stars on your favourite black and red streaming service will be no more come the end of the month. Netflix announced that they would doing away with the traditional five star rating system in lieu of a simple thumbs up or thumbs down option.
The company said that when they tested the new system in trials they got 200% more responses than they did with the original star ranking system. Essentially meaning more data to curate your preferences, and make your use experience more personalized.
Netflix says that this new system will also be part of a new initiative that they are testing out where they will match specific shows and movies to a users profile. The system will work similar to Rotten Tomatoes, where it will give you a percentage point about how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ a fit is, except it will be personalized to your preferences and not a universal one.
The company said that most customers, over 50%, had ranked more than 50 titles. But they’re hoping that with this new thumb system – similar to the ‘likes’ on social media platforms – people will be more willing to give feedback on their preferences.
Some people in forums around the web have begun voicing their complaints about this new system, saying that just because you watch the same silly movie or TV show over and over again, does not necessarily equate that you like that thing better than other movies or shows you only watch once.
The background noise movies/TV shows, as we’ll call them, are ones that users say they like to put on when they come home from work to wind down, but aren’t high quality or subjectively better in their opinions than other shows that require a little more thought and attention. They fear that this new system will be skew their preferences because of habits like this.
Netflix is planning on launching the new system at the end of the month.
You may have read this Toronto Star/Ryerson School of Journalism investigation the other day in the paper, but in case you missed it, here’s what you need to know about the private health clinics that have been cropping up around Ontario in the past few years.
Expensive health clinics in Ontario, with some costing up to $4,500 annually, are forcing what some experts in the public health policy field fear is a two tiered public health system in Ontario. The clinics include the same coverage provided by OHIP, but in addition to the regular services provided, the private clinics also offer services like 24-hour access to personal physicians, annual physicals, lifestyle assessments, shorter wait times for MRIs, blood tests and even Vitamin D testing.
By having these more expensive clinics available, it is not only sending more physicians from the public into the private sector, which will only further contribute to longer wait times for patients, but it also sends the message that the current system that is being offered by OHIP is second best.
“It contributes to an ethos that the public system is not delivering the highest quality . . . We need to push back against this myth that having extra testing is harmless. The potential for harm is very great,” said Dr. Danielle Martin, a family physician in Toronto, in an interview with Metro.
The potential for harm is indeed great. Patients attending these extra-care clinics are receiving annual – sometimes quarterly – physicals that can include additional testing that may not be required. Take for instance an MRI. These are expensive tests, but, more importantly, frequent MRIs can cause damage to the body that should not be incurred unless medically necessary.
In the campaign Choosing Wisely – a Canadian campaign designed to keep patients aware of when they need or don’t need testing – they argue that more testing does not equal a healthier, happier patient. In fact, unnecessary testing can lead to more exposure to harmful risks that may actually cause the patient to become ill. For instance, patients should not be receiving more than one colonoscopy every five to ten years, unless an irregular polyp appears or this is a risk for disease in your family the site says.
Choosing Wisely goes on to explain that overuse of this expensive and invasive medical test can sometimes lead to tears in the colon, inflammation, infection, heavy bleeding and even “problems in people with heart or blood- vessel disease”.
Another major problem with this two tiered system is that regular doctors working in the public sector are seeing patients go into the private clinics for the expensive tests, but then coming back into the public system to receive treatment for fairly regular abnormalities, which ultimately unnecessarily burdens the public system.
In the interview with Metro News, Dr. Martin went on to say how private clinics commonly won’t refer patients to specialists or order additional tests because it falls “outside their scope”.
“It’s actually the part of me that is most offended by these practices — as soon as you get sick, nobody wants to take care of you anymore,” she said in an interview with Metro.
Most of the experts interviewed by Metro and the Star say that, as it stands, these clinics are not doing anything technically illegal. At the moment, these clinics are uniquely positioned in a somewhat legal and moral ‘grey’ area.
“This is the challenge of allowing a fringe of private enterprise in what is supposed to be a comprehensive public service for medically necessary care,” said Bernard Dickens, professor emeritus of health law and policy at the University of Toronto, in an interview with Metro News.
These clinics are allowing the wealthy in Ontario to buy their way to the front of the line, and that is something that the clinics may have to adjust, or they may be risking the future security of public health care in Ontario.
Clinics mentioned in the Toronto Star Investigation:
- Medcan Clinic: $3,300/year
- Executive Health Care: $4,500/year
- Medisys: $2,250/year
- Healthcare 365: $3,300/year
Click here to read the full investigation from the Toronto Star.
Today is Macaron Day in Toronto! Coinciding with Macaron Day taking place in Paris, NYC and many other international cities, Macaron Day in Toronto celebrates these delicate confections in support of a local charity. 25% of all additional macaron purchased on this day in Toronto will be donated to the Red Door Family Shelter, a non profit organization that supports families and individuals in need of a safe and supportive emergency shelter in Toronto and the GTA.
Join today, Monday, March 20th, 2017, when participating patisseries across Toronto will come together to present new and unique macaron offerings created specifically for the occasion by some of the most talented pastry chefs in the city.
Macaron lovers, make sure to map out your day in advance as quantities will be limited! Participating locations include:
- Moroco Chocolat
- Bobette & Belle Queen E
- Bobette & Belle Yonge St
- La Bamboche
- La Cigogne Bayview
- La Cigogne Danforth
- Rahier
- Windsor Arms
- Ruelo
- The Sweet Escape
- Patricia’s Cake Creations
- AG Macarons Etobicoke
- AG Macarons Toronto
Click here for more information about Macaron Day!
PastaCo is recalling PastaCo brand Bolognese Sauce from the marketplace because it may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.
What you should do
Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.
If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, call your doctor.
Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
Click here to read more information about this recall.
Toys R Us Canada has a great FREE Family Events in March each Saturday including fun make and takes, product demos, giveaways and more.
Visit your local Toys“R”Us store to take part in the exciting promotions and activities your kids will love. All events are offered In-store only. While quantities last. Giveaways and make and takes are limit to one per child. Events recommended for children ages 5 years and up.
Today: Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 11am – 1pm
- Beyblade Burst + Play Doh Demo & Crafts
- Kids test their skills and challenge other participants at our Beyblade battle for the burst event.
Here’s the upcoming event every Saturday morning at 11am:
Saturday, March 25, 2017 from 11am – 1pm
- Beauty and The Beast Event Make and Take
- Kids can Build and take home a LEGO Mini Cogsworth and create and take home a Play-Doh Rose.
Click here to view the Toys R Us flyer.
Click here to get more information on this event.
Cineplex Canada has released their new schedule. The Cineplex Canada Family Favourites Movies include:
- Today, Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 11am the film The Wizard of Oz. Family, Fantasy, is the Family Favourites for $2.99 (1h 42m).
Here’s the upcoming movie every Saturday morning at 11am for Cineplex Family Favourites at $2.99 each:
March, 2017:
- Saturday, March 25, 2017: Space Jam. Comedy, Animation, Adventure, Family, Classic. 1h 28m
April 2017:
- Saturday, April 1, 2017: Looney Tunes Shorts
- Saturday, April 8, 2017: The Land Before Time
- Saturday, April 15, 2017: Hop
- Saturday, April 22, 2017: E.T Extra-Terrestrial
- Saturday, April 29, 2017: Sing
Click here to see a list of Cineplex participates in the Family Favourites event.
Click here to get tickets from Cineplex online
The Home Depot Canada has a new list of workshops! The The Home Depot Canada today FREE workshops includes: Install Laminate Flooring. Learn how to measure, cut and install laminate flooring.
The Home Depot Canada FREE workshops is valid today, Saturday, March 18, 2017 – 10:00 am to 11:00 am.
To book your slot at a workshop, contact your local Home Depot location.
Click here to get all Home Depot Canada online offers.
Click here to view The Home Depot flyers
Anyone who has lived in Toronto before can attest to the crazy real estate market and how rent is becoming increasingly harder and harder to pay, particularly for people who don’t make a Bay St. salary. News came down this morning from Queen’s Park that NDP Peter Tabuns, MPP for Toronto-Danforth, is proposing a private member’s bill that aims to make housing more affordable in the province.
In his bill, Tabuns is putting forward that all rental units be permitted to fall under rent control.
“People deserve protection against unreasonable rent increases,” Tabuns told the CBC on Thursday morning.
As it stands right now, landlords who have rental units that were built after 1991 are exempt from rent control. This stipulation is from the 1997 Residential Tenancies Act, which was intended to inspire developers to build new rental units.
“The exemption that exists now for buildings built after 1991 needs to go,” said Tabuns in the interview with CBC. “It isn’t helping people anymore. In fact, it’s putting people in a very difficult position.”
In Toronto, the city’s rental vacancy rate is 1.3 percent and an ever growing number of people are finding the prices of their rentals completely unaffordable.
Tabuns will be tabling the bill on Monday, with more details of the plan coming in the days ahead.
Have you ever had one of the U.K.’s greatest chocolatey creations, the milk chocolate covered malt balls, aptly named, Maltesers? Well, if you haven’t then you may want to check out these Mars chocolate balls of delight in the next coming months, especially if you’re living in Newmarket, Ontario, as they’re now officially home of the Malteser – well, on North American grounds at least.
Maltesers are a British confectionary that only began being imported to the U.S. this year. But you may be familiar with the sugary treat if you live in the U.S., as they share a very similar composition to the American brand Whoppers.
This recent opening of the first and only factory for Maltesers in North America marks a special occasion for the town of Newmarket. With the opening of the facility, they have added 30 highly skilled jobs to Newmarket’s employment numbers, in addition to the 50 tradespeople it took to build the factory. The factory also said that as production ramps up to become a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week operation that they will add more jobs to handle the some seven and a half million Maltesers that will be rolling off the conveyor belt each day.
About 80 percent of the production from this factory will be exported to the U.S., which is a country quickly catching on to the love of these wafery circles of delight.
By now, almost everyone has heard about the mysterious and concerning CCD – Colony Collapse Disorder – happening around the world and hurting one of nature’s most cherished workers: the honey bee. Cheerios Canada has decided to not be a complacent bystander in solving this pressing issue, and so has launched the #BringBackTheBees campaign.
In this campaign, Cheerios is giving people who fill out this form a free sample of 500 wildflower seeds that you can plant to help stimulate the honey bee population. Bees rely on wildflower pollen for sustenance, and by planting more seeds around the world, Cheerios is hoping to curb some of the bee’s disappearance by creating a more bee friendly environment.
They have already met their goal of sending 100 million seeds to Canadians, but they are continuing to send out more of these wildflower seeds to people who request it.
Click here to learn more about the #BringBackTheBees campaign.
Sephora Canada has a new Free Deluxe sample! Receive a Free mini Guerlain Primer Mini Sample with online orders of $25 or more.
To get your FREE sample enter the promo code PEARLPOWER at checkout. Offer is valid on
Offer valid for a limited time. Quantities are limited.
This Sephora Canada offer is valid online for a limited time, while supplies last.
Click here to shop online at Sephora Canada.
As originally reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Hudson’s Bay Co is rumoured to be in talks with the U.S. retail chain Neiman Marcus to buy out the struggling company.
Neiman Marcus released a statement that neither confirmed or denied who they were in talks with, but instead said that they were hiring financial advisers to “explore and evaluate potential strategic alternatives”.
The Hudson’s Bay Co also says that it is part of their company policy to not comment on rumours and speculation, so they too have neither confirmed whether or not these ‘talks’ are more than just speculation.
Neiman Marcus has been carrying a long-term U.S. debt of $4.4 billion and in their last quarter they reported sales that were lower by 6.1 per cent when compared to the same period last year.
The Hudson’s Bay already owns a number of American retailers, some of the most well-known including banners like Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Gilt, and SAKS OFF 5TH.
The Home Depot Canada has a new list of workshops! The The Home Depot Canada today FREE workshops includes: Install Moulding and Trim! Learn how to select, measure, cut and install moulding and trim.
The Home Depot Canada FREE workshops is valid today, Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
To book your slot at a workshop, contact your local Home Depot location.
Click here to get all Home Depot Canada online offers.
Click here to view The Home Depot flyers
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