If you spent time outdoors this weekend, we hope you did a thorough tick check when you got back inside. The creatures have been on the rise in Canada for years, and this summer is no exception. The increase is not just in numbers, but in wide swaths of habitat which used to be tick-free.
Why is this happening? How can you spot them? Where are you likely to encounter them? And most importantly, if you find one, how can you remove it safely, and what do you need to do after that?

Ticks are everywhere this summer. Here’s what you need to know.

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Tim Hortons. Coffee, donuts and Canadian identity. What more could you possibly want? Well, maybe quenchers? Chilli? Beef lasagna casserole? Pulled pork sandwiches? Pizza?! Please, just tell them so they can sell it.

In all seriousness, Tim Hortons offering new menu items isn't a bad thing, but it does let us ask an important question about what the chain has become: Is it a Canadian staple, that both aspiring politicians and savvy marketers use as a stand-in for what makes Canada great? Or is it one arm of a huge, soulless global food brand with no motivation other than to suck up as much market share as it possible? Could it be the answer is ... somehow, both those things?

GUEST: Tom Jokinen, writing in The Walrus

The long, strange trip that ended with Tim Hortons pizza

India was the first country to ban TikTok—and they did it years ago. The United States just passed a law that would see the popular app banned if it isn't sold in the coming months. Canada is conducting a security review of the app and is believed to be considering similar actions. All of this because the app's owner, ByteDance is a Chinese company based in Beijing.

What exactly are the security concerns here? How much do they matter to ordinary Canadians? What measures might Canada take, and when? And how would Canadians feel about the government deciding what apps they get to download?

GUEST: Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

Will Canada ban TikTok, too?

The crown corporation is losing a ton of money, and the volume of mail it's delivering is dropping rapidly. It's annual report, released last week, hinted that major changes could be in store. That could include paring back mail delivery to every second or third day, which the corporation confirmed yesterday it was looking into.

What would ending daily mail delivery mean for Canadians? How many would notice, or care? But what about those among us—people and small businesses alike—who rely on timely, every day delivery of letters and packages? What does the future hold for Canada Post in an increasingly paperless world?

GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill reporter, CityNews

Will Canada Post end daily mail delivery?

The latest strain of H5N1 avian flu has been doing some ... unusual things. It's infecting a wide swath of mammals. It's spreading rapidly among cattle in the United States, many of them along Canada's border. And it's now been found in the milk supply of those cows, though FDA officials say that pasteurization means the milk is still safe to consume.

It's clear this strain is different from previous versions of the virus. And scientists are watching it very closely. But to a world that has recently suffered through a pandemic, any new virus doing unusual things may seem terrifying. So: What happens next? How worried should you be?

GUEST: Dr. Scott Weese, infectious disease veterinarian at the Ontario Vet College at the University of Guelph

How worried should you be about bird flu?

Two watchdog reports into Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal in summer 2023 triggered sudden resignations and sent the Ford government spiraling into disarray. Public anger started to boil over. Questions swirled about massages in Las Vegas. 

Right when the crisis reached a fever pitch, Premier Doug Ford faces the people to make an enormous mea culpa. But is that enough to satisfy the RCMP — or to settle questions about whether the government is really working for the people?

Ticks are everywhere this summer. Here’s what you need to know.

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