In this issue...
• Canadian TV series Heated Rivalry taking world by storm
• Denmark's post office ends service after 400 years
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• Thousands pranked into showing up for fake fireworks show at New York City's Brooklyn Bridge
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed in the news
• Trivia: Did you know?
• Quotes of note
• Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
• Dream Like Taylor - A fabulous coloring book for Swifties by Rose Michaels
• Monday, January 26: Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night
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Canadian TV series Heated Rivalry taking world by storm
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely heard about the incredible buzz surrounding the new Canadian TV series Heated Rivalry, which has quickly become a touchstone of entertainment culture since its release several weeks ago. People of all ages and orientations are going crazy over the secret romance between fictional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
Article excerpt: "In Canada, Heated Rivalry is now the most-watched original series ever on Bell Media’s Crave streamer. And here in the U.S., it’s now the top-rated non-animated acquired series on HBO Max since it launched in 2020, and is in the top five among all scripted debuts on HBO Max this year.
So why did it seemingly came out of nowhere? Turns out, it’s because it kinda did. Heated Rivalry wasn’t supposed to premiere until next year - but once Bell Media and Crave knew what they had in the series, they kept pushing the premiere date up. And up.
'I think we were looking at February,' says executive producer Brendan Brady, the co-founder of Heated Rivalry producer Accent Aigu Entertainment with series creator Jacob Tierney, who wrote and directed every episode. 'And then it was maybe January. Then Christmas. And then... Nov. 28.'
The scramble to get the show launched has left Tierney and Brady a bit dazed. The duo just handed in the final cut for the show’s Season 1 finale (which drops as Episode 6 on Dec. 26) a few days ago.
'It’s great to be loved - and sometimes it’s exhausting and a lot of work to be loved, so we’re living through that,' says Tierney."
The chemistry between the show's lead actors Hudson Williams (Hollander) and Connor Storrie (Rozanov) is on full display during their interviews. You can't help but like them. In addition to watching the show, take some time to watch their media interviews together. They're quite entertaining, fun to watch and full of feel-good moments in a world that seems to have gone crazy with 24/7 bad news. Their interactions will put a smile on your face.
The series is based on the Game Changers series of books by Rachel Reid of Halifax.
Read: How Heated Rivalry became the year’s biggest TV surprise: "We’re now premium smut on HBO!" Related: 1) "No one can know": Heated Rivalry’s gay love story exposes ice hockey’s culture of silence. Related 2: Why everyone is talking about Heated Rivalry's Team Canada fleece.
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Denmark's post office ends service after 400 years
Even with all the problems surrounding Canada Post these days, it seems unfathomable that the service would go away, but the post office in Denmark is doing just that - shutting down. Mailboxes are being removed from streets and home delivery of mail has ceased.
Article excerpt: "The Danish postal service will deliver its last letter on 30 December, ending a more than 400-year-old tradition.
Announcing the decision earlier this year to stop delivering letters, PostNord, formed in 2009 in a merger of the Swedish and Danish postal services, said it would cut 1,500 jobs in Denmark and remove 1,500 red postboxes amid the 'increasing digitalisation' of Danish society.
Describing Denmark as 'one of the most digitalised countries in the world', the company said the demand for letters had 'fallen drastically' while online shopping continued to increase, prompting the decision to instead focus on parcels.
It took only three hours for 1,000 of the distinctive postboxes, which have already been dismantled, to be bought up when they went on sale earlier this month with a price tag of 2,000 DKK (£235) each for those in good condition and 1,500 DKK (£176) for those a little more well-worn. A further 200 will be auctioned in January. PostNord, which will continue to deliver letters in Sweden, has said it will refund unused Danish stamps for a limited time."
People will still be able to send and receive letters, just through a different service - which will likely be much more expensive.
Read: Danish postal service to stop delivering letters after 400 years.
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Thousands pranked into showing up for fake fireworks show at New York City's Brooklyn Bridge
Don't believe everything you read online, folks. Thousands of people showed up to ring in 2026 with fireworks at the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The catch... it was all a dupe. The event wasn't real.
Article excerpt: "Looks like AI is a terrible party planner.
Thousands of revelers were tricked by phony social media videos into gathering at Brooklyn Bridge Park to watch a grand fireworks display on New Year’s Eve - only to find out the event didn’t actually exist.
Accounts across TikTok and Instagram reportedly used AI videos to plug the supposed show as a perfect way to ring in 2026 - prompting thousands to believe the online slop and show up, and even sparking an article in Time Out New York promoting the non-event as a hot thing to do on the holiday.
'Did we get pranked? We got pranked. The amount of people who are misinformed here,' said Zack Gill, who was tricked into going down to the park posted a viral video of the disappointed crowd.
The clip shows a huge throng of duped revelers on the Brooklyn riverside counting down the second to midnight - and then looking stunned as no fireworks went off on the bridge."
At least the event was free to attend. Can you imagine if tickets had been sold? It will likely happen at some point.
Read: Thousands duped by AI into watching non-existent NYE fireworks show at Brooklyn Bridge: ‘We got pranked.”
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Trivia: Did you know?
Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars was the #1 song of 2025 according to Billboard.
Click here to watch a video of the song on YouTube.
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Quotes of note
• 1. "Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering 'it will be happier'..."
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), English poet (see photo)
• 2. "For last year's words belong to last year's language, and next year's words await another voice."
- T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
• 3. "Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one."
- Brad Paisley
• 4. "As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning."
- Criss Jami, Killosophy
• 5. "We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."
- Ellen Goodman
• 6. "The place you are born isn't necessarily the place you belong."
- Alix E. Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
• 7. "I feel like if you're a really good human being, you can try to find something beautiful in every single person, no matter what."
- Lady Gaga
• 8. "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."
- Bill Vaughan
• 9. "Every new year is the direct descendant, isn’t it, of a long line of proven criminals?"
- Ogden Nash
• 10. "December is the toughest month of the year. Others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, October, August, and February."
- Mark Twain
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Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In January, the group is walking in Mapleton Park with meetup in the Rotary Lodge parking lot off of Mapleton Road. A great way to make 2026 a healthier year!
The group meets for walks every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. New participants are always welcome! For more information, please contact Wayne Harrigan at 506-386-2187 or via email.
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Dream Like Taylor - A fabulous colouring book for Swifties by Rose Michaels
Step into Taylor’s sparkly world with Dream Like Taylor! - a fabulous coloring book for Swifties - the ultimate coloring book for young fans who adore Taylor Swift and want to shine just like her! Filled with fun and fabulous illustrations, this book celebrates Taylor’s music, fashion, kindness and creativity. Color girls who sing on stage, play guitar, write songs, and dress in dazzling styles all inspired by Taylor’s amazing journey. Whether you’re a future superstar, a dreamer or just love to color, this book will make your imagination sparkle. Grab your crayons or markers and get ready to color your way to stardom... Swiftie-style! A total of 50 images are available in the book with a blank page on the other side of the image if you want to use markers.
• Amazon Canada: amzn.to/4hSY1dB
• Amazon USA: amzn.to/4p62coN
To view the entire list of Rose Michaels' colouring books, visit her website or follow her Facebook page.
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Monday, January 26: Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Trivia Night
The next Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club Trivia Night will be held at St. Louis Bar & Grill, 1405 Mountain Road, Moncton, on Monday, January 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m. $10 per person (cash only).
Participants may play as teams or individuals. The winning team gets 50% of the door receipts as their prize.
It is strongly suggested that participants arrive by 5:15-5:30 p.m. for a seat. Trivia begins at 6:30 p.m. sharp and is usually over by 8-8:15 p.m. Everyone welcome!
Please note that restaurant reservations are NOT available for this event. First come, first served. Limited seating of approximately 50 guests.
Participants may bring an optional non-perishable food item (box of granola bars, Kraft Dinner, cereal, canned goods, etc.) for distribution at Krista Richard's Community Sports Program events, of which the Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club is a sponsor. Any donations will be gratefully received and provided to Krista for distribution to her program participants (school-aged children from Moncton-area schools).
Since Rotary Trivia Nights began in 2016, the Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club has donated more than $20,000 to Atlantic Wellness, Karing Kitchen, Ray of Hope Kitchen, Salvus Clinic, The Humanity Project, BGC Moncton (Moncton Boys & Girls Club), Junior Achievement New Brunswick, Project Linus - Moncton Chapter, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement New Brunswick, Children's Wish Canada, Krista Richard's Community Sports Program and Bicycle Program, Diabetes Canada's D-Camps for kids, and Anglophone East School District's School Supplies Drive, among others.
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club gratefully acknowledges the kind and generous sponsorship of our restaurant partner, St. Louis Bar & Grill.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a no telephone rule at these events. The answers cannot be researched except among discussion with your team members.
Facebook event listing: bit.ly/43QNMk5
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About this newsletter
Brian Cormier's Weekly Update is distributed weekly from September to June. If you're reading this newsletter online and want to subscribe, please email me, fill out the subscription form on my website, or subscribe via the "Join Our Email List" button at the top of the newsletter (if you're viewing this in a browser.) This newsletter is not published in July and August and on holidays.
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