Leons Headlines July 14: Smoky summers may be the new normal in Western Canada, prompting experts to call for an overhaul of MB’s air quality monitoring system to better track pollution & long-term health impacts.
-Wildfire smoke levels hit 15 times the safe daily limit Friday, with air quality warnings & experts saying just being outside was like smoking a cigarette.
-3 of 4 Island Lake communities under states of emergency due to wildfires. St. Theresa Point & Wasagamack prepare to evacuate residents starting Monday.
-MB government gives $95K to the Souris River Watershed District to install an aeration system in Oak Lake to reduce algae and support fish life.
-Investigation continues into an apparent arson that damaged a Swan River radio station’s studios Thursday, knocking out broadcasts & inter-station links to Virden, Gimli & Esterhazy.
-MB police watchdog investigating the taser arrest of a boy with a weapon June 10, the same day as the Neelin High School sword attack.
-A new Leger poll of nearly 40K Canadians find Quebec residents are the happiest in the country, with Mississauga topping big cities while MB, PEI & Toronto ranking lowest.
-A new report shows obesity rates in Canada rose faster during the pandemic due to lockdowns, and the trend continues with 1 in 3 Canadians now overweight.
-Major Canadian employers like RBC, BMO, and Scotiabank are reducing remote work, with experts citing company culture and alignment as key reasons.
-Peacock Calling Contest: 4th annual Souris had 83 participants squawked their best during the growing town-favourite event.
-Grammy-winner Paula Cole & Sophie B Hawkins will co-headline a concert at WMCA Oct 21, as part of a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Hawkins’ Whaler album.
-James Gunn’s “Superman” reboot soared to No. 1 at the box office with a $122M opening weekend. “A Minecraft Movie” & “Lilo & Stitch,” lead summer openings with over $414M, while superhero fans await “Fantastic Four” July 25.
HE LOVES SUPERMAN. This guy has the BIGGEST Superman collection in the world. And imagine, he was a collector of all things superhero, but had to give up the others to stay with the Krypton King. We could only imagine how big his collection would have been had he kept all of it!
GOLF COURSE FIGHT UPDATE-Trevor Ogilvie is apologizing after a viral video showed him being thrown into a pond and repeatedly punched by former NHLer Nick Tarnasky during a drunken altercation on a central Alberta golf course. Tarnasky, now head coach of the U17 AAA North Stars in Red Deer, is under internal review by the hockey organization, though RCMP are not investigating since no assault complaint was filed.
CANADA is about to get SKINNY. After record breaking obesity rates thanks to Covid lockdowns, help may be on the way. Ozempic’s Canadian patent expires in January 2026, paving the way for cheaper generic versions of the popular weight-loss drug, which could greatly expand access. Experts warn that easier access may lead to misuse, especially through online clinics offering quick prescriptions. While multiple companies are seeking Health Canada approval to launch generics, none have been approved yet.
DRAMATIC LOSS. Some of the celebrities that have used Ozempic to lose weight have seen dramatic results. And while some use it to get healthy, some are using it to move from thin, to super-thin to unhealthy on the other side of the spectrum. Take a look at THESE CELEBS.
https://www.boredpanda.com/celebrities-before-and-after-ozempic
What happens after? The jury is still out on what happens once the treatment stops. Will the weight come back or is it gone forever? The truth is nobody knows since the drug is still so new to the market. One thing’s for certain, people are losing a tremendous amount of weight.
HAPPY MAC AND CHEESE DAY! While we debated whether ketchup should be on Mac & Cheese, we celebrated the world’s largest macaroni and cheese, weighing 2,151 kg, was created by Schreiber Foods Inc. in Logan, Utah, on July 29, 2022, during their 50th-anniversary celebration. It was made using macaroni, whole milk, flour, parmesan flakes, and breadcrumbs. The massive dish fed over 2,000 people, with leftovers donated to a local food pantry.
TikTok is trying Lady Gaga’s unique bar order—red wine with maraschino cherries and Diet Coke—has gone viral this summer after she revealed it during a Vanity Fair lie detector interview. The combo, known as a kalimotxo in Spain’s Basque Country, traditionally mixes red wine with cola and is gaining popularity as a summer drink on TikTok. Content creators are experimenting with variations, saying the flavors blend so well you can barely tell them apart.
