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Canada vs. Sweden Semifinal Promises to be must-see Hockey

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MONTREAL — Asked who he thought would win the world junior semifinal showdown Wednesday between Sweden and the host Canadians, Czech Republic coach Jakub Petr replied: “If the tournament was being played in Europe, Sweden!”

Because of the speed and savvy of the Swedes? Is that the reason?

“No, it’s because my friend coaches them,” he laughed.

Sitting beside Petr in the post-game press conference, even Canadian coach Dominique Ducharme had a good chuckle at that.

“It’s going to be a great matchup,” Petr said once the chortling had subsided. “As a fan of the game, I can’t wait to watch it.”

By beating the Czech Republic 5-3 in quarterfinal action at the Bell Centre Monday, Canada punched its ticket to a semis berth against Sweden.

And, for the record, it has been eight years since Team Canada clashed with the Swedes in the medal round of a world junior championship.

Back on Jan. 5, 2009, Canada beat Sweden 5-1 in the final in front of a sellout throng at Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre.

Cody Hodgson scored a pair of goals for Canada, while P.K. Subban, Jordan Eberle and Anthony Esposito (remember him?) added singles. The winning coach was the late Pat Quinn.

“I remember I had a game that night,” Canadian captain Dylan Strome said. “Canada played very well. I remember P.K. Subban had a really good game.”

Almost a decade later, Team Canada will be hoping that history will repeat itself.

GLASS HALF EMPTY

Monday’s crowd of 10,215 was shockingly disappointing, even to some of the Canadian players.

Keep in mind that the cavernous Bell Centre holds more than twice that many people.

“We were a bit surprised,” Strome said. “We thought it would be pretty much full like it was in Toronto for our games. But it seemed to fill in as the game went on. And they were loud. I mean, this is the best building in the NHL.

It will be interesting to see how many fans show up for the Canada-Sweden semifinal on Wednesday, but we do know this: There are much more worthy markets in this country more appreciative of the junior game than Montreal and Toronto.

Lower the prices; have at least one of the locations in a two-market setup have a smaller rink; and, most importantly, put it in communities that really care about the event.

NO DOUBTING THOMAS

Defenceman Thomas Chabot was happy when he survived the cuts at Ottawa Senators training camp this past fall.

But his mood quickly dampened when the team send him back to junior after he’d played just one regular season game.

The Sens’ reasoning for putting him back with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Saint John Sea Dogs was that they simply felt he wasn’t quite ready for the rigors of the NHL.

It’s been the right call. He’s flourished while wearing the ‘A’ for Team Canada, giving the Canadians their first lead of the night Monday to put the hosts up 3-2 in the third.

NET GAINS VS. PAINS

Ducharme strayed from his preliminary-round gameplan of alternating goalies by calling on Connor Ingram to start for the second consecutive time. Ingram was between the pipes for Canada’s 3-1 loss at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday.

“We like the way he played,” Ducharme said earlier in the day. “He kept us in the game really close with big saves against the Americans.

“We’re confident he’s going to be good for us tonight. We’re confident with both goalies, but we have to make a decision. It’s a daily decision for us. We think tonight Ingram is the guy to go.”

Wonder what he was thinking after the Czech Republic scored twice on its first five shots?

For the record, Ingram came into the game with a 1.52 goals-against average and .885 save percentage.

Fellow goalie Connor Hart has a 2.50 average and .881 save percentage.

WHAT A BUMMER

When the Czech Republic opened the scoring at 16:19 of the first period, it came courtesy of a lucky bounce — one that came right off the butt of the referee.

Indeed, the puck would have gone to the far boards in the Canadian end had it not hit the official in the hip area (we’re calling it the gluteus maximus) and went right to the stick of Czech Republic forward David Kase, who flipped it into the net before Ingram could react.

Just one question: Shouldn’t the Zebra have received an assist on the play?

LAST MINUTE OF PLAY

As a 2015 first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, it’s relatively safe to assume that Canadian defenceman Noah Juulsen has been eager for the opportunity to play at the home of the Habs.

We’re betting this isn’t the way he’d planned on it going.

With Canada up 2-1 in the second period, Czech forward Tomas Soustal broke over the Canadian blueline and put a head fake on Juulsen, who dove to the ice to try to break up the rush. His plan having worked to perfection, Soustal easily dipsy-doodled his way around the out-of-position Canadian defender and ripped a shot past Ingram, tying the game 2-2.

We do know this much: Juulsen isn’t going to be happy when that play is shown during the team’s video sessions.

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Beauty Week is back at Hudson’s Bay in Toronto and it’s time to get glam

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Beauty enthusiasts rejoice! Beauty Week at Hudson’s Bay is back in Toronto for another year. It’s time to stock up on all of your fall essentials and, maybe discover some new ones. 

From Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 27, you can expect a truly elevated beauty experience in-store with incredible special offers, limited-time gifts, and exciting activations. 

If you’re a diehard beauty lover, you’ll already know that Hudson’s Bay is the place to shop thanks to its extensive range of over 195 skin and makeup brands from both luxury labels and masstige brands — including Tata Harper, Estée Lauder, YSL, Nars Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, and so much more.

Throughout The Bay’s Beauty Week, visitors can take in some at-counter activations and interactive expert-led tutorials, where there will be chances to get makeup touch-ups from top-tier brands, try a spritz of the most alluring fragrances, and sample tons of new products.

This year’s Beauty Week highlight is the ‘Best in Beauty’ tote, a meticulously-curated selection of 30 deluxe samples from an array of top-tier brands like Dr. Barbara Sturm and Shiseido spanning skincare, fragrance, and makeup — all in a super sleek bag.

The tote, which is valued at over $300, is retailing for just $39 and is a fantastic way to explore new products (without breaking the bank). However, there is a limited quantity, so if you want to get your hands on one, you’ll need to be fast.

Wondering exactly what Beauty Week’s free gifts with purchases entail? If you spend over $95 at Lancôme, you will receive a six-piece set valued at $130. Or, you can get an Estée Lauder gift valued at $170 with purchases over $80. (And that’s just to name a few.)

If you’re a Hudson’s Bay Rewards member, you’ll also get $20 in Hudson’s Bay rewards when you spend over $100 on beauty.

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The Canadian Armed Forces are hiring for several non-combat military jobs

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The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have several non-combat jobs, some of which do not require a college degree or past work experience.

Life in the forces has several benefits, such as paid education plans (college, university and graduate-level programs), 20 paid vacation days, health and dental coverage for you and your family, maternity and paternal leave, and pension plans. You can learn more about the benefits in detail here.

And to make it easier to gauge if you qualify, the listings also include related civilian jobs to see if it’s your ideal role.

Financial services administrator

Related civilian jobs: Financial records entry clerk, financial manager, accounting technician, bookkeeper, budget officer, cashier clerk, business planner technician, and verification manager.

Description: You’ll help budget resources for all military activities besides providing financial assistance.

Education: You need to have completed Grade 10.

Duties: As a financial services administrator, you’ll be responsible for bookkeeping and managing budgets. You’ll also provide support in accounts payable and accounts receivable.

Work environment: Those in this role work at CAF bases, on ships or overseas. You might also be expected to help special operation units, recruiting offices, schools, and medical organizations.

Postal clerk

Related civilian jobs: Mail clerk, mail sorter.

Description: You’ll provide postal services to members and their families at bases and establishments.

Education: Grade 10. No previous work experience or related career skills are required.

Duties: As the postal clerk, you’ll handle mail duties.

Work environment: Besides a postal office, you may work on a ship or a mobile postal van. You might be expected to serve with Royal Canadian Navy, the Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force in Canada and abroad.

Dental technician

Related civilian jobs: Dental assistant, dental hygienist.

Description: You’ll be helping dental officers provide dental services to CAF members, their families, and dependents.

Education: Level II dental assisting diploma from an accredited college or a National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) certificate.

Duties: Those in this role will be responsible for various responsibilities, including disinfection and sterilization of dental equipment, applying rubber dams, placing cavity liners, and controlling bleeding. In addition, you’ll assist in laboratory procedures like creating casts, custom trays, and mouthguards.

Work environment: This role will require you to work in a military dental clinic, a Mobile Dental Clinic, an Air Transportable Dental System, or onboard a ship. You might be expected to work on a base in Canada or other operations in other parts of the world.

Human resources administrator

Related civilian jobs: Records administrator, data entry supervisor, receptionist, office manager, executive assistant, payroll clerk, and information management technician.

Description: Provide administrative and general human resources support.

Education: Grade 10. No previous work experience or related career skills are required.

Duties: In addition to human resources administration and services, you’ll be handling pay and allowances, managing automated pay systems, and maintaining personnel records.

Work environment: HR administrators work at all CAF bases in Canada. They also work on ships and overseas to support the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, or Royal Canadian Air Force operations.

Medical assistant

Related civilian jobs: Emergency medical responder, ambulance and first aid attendant, registered nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, and hospital orderly.

Description: Successful candidates will help treat the sick and injured in CAF units. You’ll be assisting and supporting nursing and medical officers.

Education: Minimum of Grade 11 biology, Grade 10 physics or chemistry, and Grade 10 math.

Duties: You’ll provide initial care and essential life support treatments in trauma cases. You’ll help with health assessments (hearing and vision tests, perform basic lab procedures, etc.) and initiate and manage medical records and reports. You’ll also be expected to provide support and first aid during training exercises.

Work environment: Medical assistants may serve with the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force or the Canadian Army as part of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group. Those in this role are exposed to the same risks as the forces they support.

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Porter’s new loyalty program promises to match Air Canada’s Aeroplan status

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Porter Airlines is once again stirring the pot among Canadian airline rivals, now going after Air Canada’s Aeroplan members by offering to match their loyalty status to an equivalent of their own.

The beloved airline, which recently ranked as having the best cabin service in North America, challenged the competition for the second time this year, after previously deploying a similar tactic against WestJet in the spring. 

Earlier in April, Porter presented customers with a limited-time offer to match the loyalty status of WestJet’s patrons with VIPorter levels.

Now, they’re offering Aeroplan members to seamlessly transition to an equivalent VIPorter Avid Traveller status based on their existing membership tier.

Members can then take advantage of an array of travel perks that come with flying Porter, including seat selection, baggage, and flight changes.

For those currently holding an Aeroplan membership, there are two ways to acquire the Avid Traveller status for the rest of 2023:

Status-Based Match:
  • Aeroplan 25K members = VIPorter Venture
  • Aeroplan 35K members = VIPorter Ascent
  • Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite = VIPorter First
Flight Segments-Based Match:
  • 5 flight segments = VIPorter Passport
  • 8 segments = VIPorter Venture
  • 17 segments = VIPorter Ascent
  • 28 or more segments = VIPorter First

Members will have to first submit their applications on Porter’s website. Registration will remain open until September 6, 2023.

In order to maintain their membership level through 2024, customers will have until the end of 2023 to reach the following reduced qualifying spend (QS) targets:

  • Passport = $500 in QS
  • Venture = $750 in QS
  • Ascent = $1500 in QS
  • First = $2500 in QS

Over the past year, Porter has launched an aggressive expansion strategy, including everything from introducing longer flights on newly-purchased jet planes flying out of Toronto Pearson, free WiFi, and a new all-inclusive economy experience.

With Canadians losing both Swoop and Sunwing as WestJet incorporates both into their mainline business, Porter’s direct competition is welcome to keep prices competitive.

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