All that glitters

Was it the best gum in the world? Nah. But having a full bag of Gold Mine Nuggets in your hand back in the day felt like you were holding riches. Plus, those nifty little pouches were great for storing treasure, like those nickels and dimes you saved from your allowance 🤓

You might’ve thought you were rich but your coins wouldn’t hold a candle to the Traveller Collection. These coins were real treasure and were buried for five decades to keep them safe. They’ll be up for auction in May in what’s being described as the most significant coin collection sale in history! 

Some just love coins ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card!)

IN THE NEWS

Carney proposes “backward integration” of supply chains

The other day, Prime Minister Carney announced that the traditional integrated economic relationship Canada has with the United States “is over,” and followed it up by proposing Canada move forward with backward integration of its supply chains.

“I’m using a fancy term—backwards integrating into steel, in aluminum to help our steel and aluminum industries that are used, and encourage that backwards integrating further into critical minerals and minerals that we’re going to develop.”

So what does this fancy term mean?

“Backward integration just refers to integration between different suppliers and the supply chain,” said Ernan Haruvy, a marketing professor at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management who holds a Ph.D. in economics.

“…Essentially an integration of different parts of the supply chain into a single, cohesive, centralized unit that does everything.”

Take auto parts as an example: currently, experts estimate most auto parts cross the Canada-U.S. border seven or eight times before the car is fully assembled.

“Backward integration, as I would understand it, is: let’s start at the consumer and slowly work our way backward through the supply chain and make sure that the things closest to the consumer are going to be produced here in Canada,” said Moshe Lander, economist at Concordia University.

HEALTH

Canadians losing tons of sleep

A new report published by GlobeScan on behalf of IKEA found Canadians are falling well-short of the global average in terms of sleep quality.

Canada scored 58 out of 100, compared to the global average of 63, which was calculated based on survey responses to five questions about sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep flow, drift-off time, and respondents’ wake-up state.

The report found that globally, people get about one hour and 20 minutes less sleep than they typically want to. This and other findings were based on data collected from over 55,000 people and input from six experts from around the world.

“Part of the problem we face is that, as sleep becomes more recognized, people become more anxious about whether they’re getting enough sleep,” said Dr. Wendy Hall, a nursing professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia. “Sometimes that anxiety gets in the way of getting enough sleep.”

According to Hall, a normal sleep cycle takes 20 minutes to enter, will involve waking up two or three times overnight, and waking up in the morning feeling refreshed and well-rested.

“If you’re taking a long time to fall asleep and waking frequently at night, you’re going to get fewer hours of sleep, and you’re more likely to report that you’re getting poorer sleep,” she said.

MONEY MONDAYS

Latest Hudson’s Bay proposal rejected by judge

Ontario Superior Court judge Peter Osborne rejected a creditor protection proposal by Hudson’s Bay Company lawyers on Saturday, which would have handed more power over to the beleaguered company’s senior secured lenders, including Bank of America, Restore Capital, and Pathlight Capital.

The proposal, if granted, would have required the company to publish weekly budgets for the limited business it’s still able to conduct, subject to approval from the aforementioned lenders. It would have also given the lenders the right to approve or deny a purchase if a third-party buyer surfaced to save the company from bankruptcy.

Osborne didn’t feel comfortable with the proposal, given that it lacked a detailed budget, and it would have put too much control of the company’s future in the hands of its lenders, who are likely looking to liquidate all remaining assets on a path towards shuttering all 80 of the department store’s remaining outlets.

The lenders expressed frustration with Osborne’s denial, though HBC’s landlords supported it, with many hoping this development would increase the likelihood of the company being pushed into receivership—a process by which a third party is given control of the assets in order to repay creditors and emerge from creditor protection.

GOLF

Play this Open course for free

These types of extravaganzas seemingly always come with a catch, but not this one. If you’re a Capital One credit card holder in possession of 150,000 rewards miles, you could visit and play the Royal Portrush Golf Club from May 14 to 16, with all expenses paid minus airfare.

The three-day trip to Northern Ireland is likely in reach for plenty of golf enthusiasts with a Capital One card, given these cards are typically issued with a welcome bonus of 75,000 points to begin with.

The course remains the only one in Ireland to ever host the Open, and will do so again this summer.

The May 14 trip costs $1,200 for a single occupancy if you’re interested but would rather pay cash, or $2,000 for a double occupancy stay.

According to Golf Digest, “Sir Nick Faldo will be at the exclusive event, mingling with guests during a fireside chat and giving instruction at Royal Portrush. Accommodations at a luxury hotel, airport transfers and all meals are included.”

Keep in mind airfare is not included and you’ll need to get your ducks in a row rather quickly, given how fast May 14 is approaching.

Still, it’s hard to imagine a better deal presenting itself if you have dreams of playing Major Championship courses and have a healthy stockpile of Capital One rewards miles.

PETS

Tongues out 😼

When cats lick inedible items, it’s called “wool sucking,” and according to Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a veterinarian who has been studying compulsive behaviour in animals for over 30 years, it’s likely a leftover impulse from when the cat was young and still nursing.

"They would like to stay with their mums and nurse for 12 or 14 weeks," he explained, using Siamese cats as an example. "And then they're placed at nine weeks. They've still got this suckling drive. And it has to go somewhere."

Dr. Valarie Tynes, another veterinarian who specializes in animal behaviour, is skeptical about Dr. Dodman’s nursing theory, but does agree it’s likely a self-soothing mechanism akin to how young children suck their thumbs.

Neither vet sees this behaviour itself as problematic, though it certainly makes it more likely that a cat will ingest something it shouldn’t, often necessitating lifesaving surgery.

In other words, it’s wise to keep an eye on your cat’s wool sucking to make sure it doesn’t eat anything it shouldn’t, but wool sucking itself is pretty standard feline behaviour.

MUSIC

Billy Joel doc coming this summer

A two-part documentary entitled Billy Joel: And So It Goes will debut this summer on HBO, featuring special moments from the piano man’s illustrious career, never-before-seen interviews, personal photographs, home movies, and live performances.

The Emmy-winning dynamic duo of Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin have teamed up to direct the film, bringing with them a long list of hits, including Jane Fonda in Five Acts, which they worked on together.

"For those who think they know Joel's story, as well as those who are not as familiar, I believe this two-part film is both a revelation and a surprise," Lacy said in a statement. 

"I was drawn to his story as someone who knew little at the outset, and was astounded at how autobiographical his songs are and how complex his story is. We are gratified that Bill trusted us with his story, which we have told as honestly as possible, diving into territory which has not been explored before."

A premiere date is yet to be provided, but the two-parter will be released at some point this summer on HBO-providers including Max in the United States and Crave in Canada.

STAKE TRIVIA

It’s not rocket science

We’ll be getting a little nerdy today—it’s National Bunsen Burner Day! Even if you skipped every high school lab, you’ll still have fun with this one 🤓 

We’re gonna be quizzing you on popular science headlines, and taking you back to school with some basic science questions. Find out what you remember with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card ;)

Winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon. Keep an eye on your inbox!*

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.