Crazy little thing

They weren’t as big on this side of the pond, but 10cc had a major hit with I’m Not in Love. Released 50 years ago this week, the innovative song had ethereal multi-tracked vocals that probably still echo in your ears today 🤩 

Whether it’s romance or friendships, all relationships have their occasional ups and downs. You might’ve heard of the ‘five love languages’ framework, but did you know you can apply it to friendships to help strengthen bonds? 

Maybe we all can be friends ;)

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

SPONSORED BY ZENBEV

Celebrating 1000 issues 🥳 

To celebrate our 1000th issue, we’re giving away a $1000 Amazon eGift Card. Vote in today’s poll to earn an entry into the giveaway**!

Special shout out to Zenbev for sponsoring our milestone 1000th issue and giveaway.

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IN THE NEWS

Canadian Tire bids on HBC

Hudson’s Bay Company is in the process of liquidating 80 stores and 16 additional outlets it runs under the Saks Fifth Avenue banner, and while it’s doing that, bids are coming in for its intellectual property.

Among the bidders are investment manager Urbana Corp., B.C. mall owner Weihong Liu, and reportedly as of yesterday, Canadian Tire.

According to a source close to The Bay, “a strong mix of recognizable North American businesses, together with financial partners,” has expressed interest, and though Canadian Tire did not comment on rumours that it’s in the mix, it certainly meets the description.

Canadian Tire was founded in 1922, has 1,700 stores across Canada, and owns other Canadian brands such as Sportchek, Park City, Mark’s, and Pro Hockey Life.

The Bay’s stores may be shuttering, but its IP includes its iconic stripes brand, Zellers, housewares brand Gluckstein, apparel line Hudson North and Distinctly Home bed and bath products.

Canadian Tire’s sales are down, but it’s in the process of closing a $1.3 billion deal to sell its sportswear brand Helly Hansen to Kontoor Brands, which owns Wrangler, Lee and Rock & Republic, giving Canadian Tire a cashflow injection that could position it well for a bid on HBC’s assets.

CRIME

Rural crime rate significantly higher than urban

There are certainly more incidents of crime in urban centres than rural towns, but that’s expected with significantly larger populations. The reality, however, is that the rural crime rate is 34% higher than it is in urban centres across the country, according to a new report by Statistics Canada.

The violent crime rate specifically, which includes homicides, assault, and intimate partner violence, was 1.7 times higher in rural areas in 2023.

These numbers are even higher in certain regions, as well. For example, Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island have lower rural crime rates than urban ones, meaning the national averages are being driven considerably by other provinces, such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta.

The crime severity index (CSI) tracks volume and severity. In those three provinces, the CSI hit 214, 184, and 145 respectively, revealing a serious violent crime problem in Saskatchewan, which is likely being driven by drug and gang violence in the north.

GOVERNMENT

Ontario presents new budget May 15

Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced yesterday that the government would table its 2025-26 budget on May 15, with a focus on helping the province build more at a quicker pace, along with tearing down interprovincial trade barriers.

“I think we’ve been pretty clear that it’s going to involve making sure that we shore up our economy, support our workers, (such as with) skills development funds as an area that we did in the past, and some big work to retrain and re-skill workers,” he said.

Tariff relief will be included in the form of deferred provincial taxes for six months for businesses impacted by U.S. president Donald Trump’s trade policies, which will cost around $9 billion, on top of an $11 billion stimulus package announced previously.

“It’s really important that the status quo is no longer acceptable, that we have to move on,” Bethlenfalvy said. “We have a new relationship with the U.S., and we’re going to do what it takes to have a strong economy.”

The Financial Accountability Office estimates tariffs will slow growth in Ontario this year from an initially projected 1.7% to 0.6%, with the labour market contracting by 68,100 jobs.

FEASTING FRIDAYS

Chips Ahoy! sets sail

Chips Ahoy!, the classic cookie brand, is branching out into other snack categories to take advantage of its market awareness, despite really only offering one snack for over 60 years.

In other words, everybody knows the Chips Ahoy! brand—95% of us, according to owner Mondelez. However, just 30% of households have it in their kitchen at any given time.

“We’re going bigger and bolder behind some of our innovations and activations than we have in the past,” Sabrina Sierant, senior director of Chips Ahoy!, said in an interview. “Chips Ahoy! should be the go-to chocolate chip treat.” 

Earlier this year, the company launched Baked Bites in an effort to have a presence in the cakes and pastries space, which is valued globally at $97 billion. Mondelez indicated it’s already seeing growth from the new category, and is continuing to invest in bringing Chips Ahoy! to other spaces, taking advantage of the power and equity the brand has earned over the decades.

It’s also been testing different iterations of the classic cookie, from an enlarged version to a gluten free version and one that tweaked the original recipe.

Over the last half year, sales are up 2.3% despite sales in the broader cookie space being down 0.3%.

HEALTH

Paging Dr. Google

These days any kind of health ailment popping up likely prompts you to Google things like, “What’s this ache?” or “What’s this rash?”

While it’s tempting to consult the encyclopedia of everything on our phones, experts unsurprisingly caution against relying on Google for health advice.

It’s not that it’s outright a bad idea, but there are certain things to be careful about. For example, just because a given site is the first return on a Google search doesn’t mean it contains the best or even correct information.

“We’ve gotten so used to clicking on that first link,” says John Grohol, a psychologist who specializes in online behaviour. “For your health information, especially when it is personal, you want to think about it.”

On top of that, now that AI is woven into the Google search experience, it’s important to be diligent with health queries. AI assistants are still prone to “hallucinations,” meaning they can give completely false information confidently. Following up your questions, including by asking for a source, is a wise way to go about it.

On top of that, AI assistants only do what you ask. If you ask a question as a way of leading to a suspected answer, it will probably give you that answer. Don’t ask “is this a symptom of X,” rather, ask “what is this symptom?” AI isn’t a diagnostic tool, and experts advise against treating it as such.

TECH

Where have you been, Lately?

If you have trouble being on time, now there’s an app for that.

Lately was created by developer Erik MacInnis as a solution to his own problem of constantly being the last friend to arrive for whatever plans the group had made. It sends friendly nudges 30 minutes, 10 minutes, and five minutes before you have to leave to make it on time.

The last straw for him was a fishing trip that he thought would take 20 minutes to get to, but ended up taking 30, after he left too late to even get there in 20! 🤯

“When I arrived, my friend was understandably annoyed and I literally said out loud, ‘I need something where I can just input when and where I need to be and it makes sure I leave on time.’ At the time I was looking for a new idea, and I was like ‘that’s it’.”

The app is designed specifically for those who think they can get somewhere on time but never do. If time blindness and time optimism are the problem, Lately is the solution, and it speaks directly to those who think they can outrun the clock.

Features of the app include a lock screen progress bar that indicates when you have to start thinking about getting going. If the bar is almost full, you gotta go. If it’s been full for 10 minutes, you’re 10 minutes late.

MUSIC

Send in Volume Two

Barbara Streisand’s 2014 duets album Partners was such a smash hit, she decided to follow it up with another one.

Out on June 27, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two features collaborations with Sir Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Sting, Bob Dylan, Sam Smith, Seal, Josh Groban, Tim McGraw, Laufey, Maria Carey, and Ariana Grande.

On top of that, The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face was released on Wednesday as the first single, and it features Hozier.

“I’ve always loved singing duets with gifted artists. They inspire me in unique and different ways…and make our time in the studio a joy,” Streisand said in a statement. “My new album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, gave me the chance to work and play with some of my old friends, label mates, and new artists too. I admire all of them…and I hope that you’ll enjoy listening to our collaborations as much as I enjoyed recording with all of my wonderful partners.”

STAKE TRIVIA

Guess again!

To close out the week, we’re doing another round of guess the lyric 😎 🎤 

We’ll give you an iconic line, and you tell us the song. See how well you know your tunes with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Tim Hortons eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified Monday afternoon—keep an eye on your inbox!*

Have a great weekend Staker!

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


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.

**SEE FULL 1000TH ISSUE GIVEAWAY RULES HERE.