03 Nov 2025

Canadian Sweet Treats

Q. As we look forward to National Candy day tomorrow (🩷): what are some Canadian-born sweets? 🇨🇦 . A. What does it say about our culture that we are the inventors of a gum whose tagline reads: ‘It still tastes like soap’? They may think us mad, but many of

29 Oct 2025

It’s In The Eyes

Q. A window to the soul? Poets, lyricists, and spies have gushed over all that can be learned from reading the eyes. What are some examples of paintings where the subject’s eyes are particularly compelling? What do their expressions say to you? . A. . Leonardo da Vinci. Salvator Mundi.

25 Oct 2025

Worst Halloween Candy

Q. “Trick or treat!” With each new open door came chatty adults – some beghouled – and new household noises, smells, and Halloween lighting. If we were lucky, friendly dogs would come bounding up to meet us. But, one key question remained: what would these strangers drop in our goodie

22 Oct 2025

A Huntrix Halloween

Q. Trick or Treat 🎃 Halloween is well on its way. Which characters are you likely to see wandering the streets, or bag-out at your door? . A. Here, first, is Google Trends’ look at most searched costumes by year: • 2015: Evie from Descandants • 2016: Harambe • 2017: Uma

19 Oct 2025

Ear-Splitting Animal Friends

Q. Human loud is plenty loud.  The Guinness World Book of Records names Jill Drake – a classroom assistant – as possessor of the loudest scream at 129 decibels. But, which animals are the loudest overall? . A. The International Fund for Animal Welfare – a global non-profit – has

16 Oct 2025

Packing A Persona

Q. 🎶 ‘Sometimes you wanna go, Where not one person knows your name…’ Do you enjoy the anonymity of travel? Do people meaningfully change the way they present themselves when they are with new people in new places? . A. Yes, according to a Faye survey of 3,000 travellers. What

14 Oct 2025

Eavesdropping

Q. For the plush carpet parlour detectives amongst us, ‘eavesdrop’ is a call to action. It’s time to sniff out the perfect hiding spot and put an ear to what those miscreants have to say. Now, where did the word ‘eavesdrop’ come from? . A. 💧 In ye olde times,

11 Oct 2025

An Artful Thanksgiving

Q. Happy Thanksgiving weekend from Canada! What are some examples of Thanksgiving-relevant art from renowned artists? . A. Here are some paintings that are either overtly focused on Thanksgiving or seem to evoke its spirit.   Pieter Claesz. Still Life with a Turkey Pie. 1627 . March Avery. Thanksgiving. 1967

09 Oct 2025

Thanksgiving Dinner In Canada

Q. With Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in sight, what are we most excited to be cooking and eating? . A. Let’s be sensible and start with dessert… If you’re on the hunt for Thanksgiving pie recipes, check out the 1944 ‘Canadian Favourites Cook Book’ – ‘favourite recipes submitted by housewives across

03 Oct 2025

Cycling Cross Canvas

Q. What a wonderful mode of transportation to capture on canvas. How have renowned painters painted bicycle life? . A. An art bike sampling… . Edouard Manet. Le Vélocipédiste. 1871 . Robert Alott. Am Strand von Ostende. 1888   Jean Metzinger. Le cycliste. 1912 . Jean Metzinger. Au Vélodrome. 1912