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In this issue...

• Beloved Canadian TV series The Littlest Hobo being rebooted

• Frozen concentrated fruit juices and beverages returning to Canadian grocery store shelves

• By the numbers X 10 + 1

• CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Flexi discs

• Car dealership cancels offer for vehicle made via its own AI chatbot

• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed in the news

• Father's Day is Sunday, June 21

• Trivia: Did you know?

• Quotes of note

• Check out these delicious recipe compilations from Brian Cormier

• Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group

Beloved Canadian TV series The Littlest Hobo is being rebooted

It's one thing to have a more recent reality show series such as Big Brother Canada return from the dead, but it's another to have a beloved Canadian series from decades ago make a comeback completely out of the blue! If you haven't heard, The Littlest Hobo is being rebooted and will soon return to a TV screen near you.

Article excerpt: "Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are leaning into nostalgia next as the Canadian creative duo reimagine Cancon classic The Littlest Hobo for new audiences.

Revealed Thursday as part of Bell Media's coming screen projects, The Littlest Hobo revamp is set to be a live-action scripted show.

The show is slated to be a revival of the beloved Canadian series, which followed an intrepid, brilliant and ownerless German shepherd - a heroic canine that wanders through towns, helping people in need at every stop. The show is set to the jangling optimistic theme track Maybe Tomorrow, sung and co-written by Canadian Terry Bush.

Rogen and Goldberg called The Littlest Hobo, which ran on CTV from 1979 through 1985, 'a foundational show of our childhood,' and expressed excitement at reimagining it for a new generation."

I had a hard time watching this show because I was too worried about who would feed the dog when he ran off, not to mention where he'd sleep and if he'd get cold if he got caught in the rain somewhere. I couldn't just enjoy the series, I had to worry about the what-ifs in between episodes.

Maybe if he's positioned as a trucker's dog who solves crimes and mysteries during their travels, I'll be able to watch. But if the format is the exact same, I'm going to be all stressed out about who's feeding him and where here's sleeping when he runs off to his next adventure.

Read: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg vow big adventures to come with Littlest Hobo revival. News release: Crave, Point Grey Pictures and Lionsgate set The Littlest Hobo as first project under partnership.

Frozen concentrated fruit juices and beverages returning to Canadian grocery store shelves

Another rebirth! Those frozen juice concentrates that went away a few months ago are coming back to Canadian grocery store shelves thanks to Loblaw.

Article excerpt: "That distinctive 'schhhhhlorp' sound could be back in Canadian kitchens soon, as frozen juice is set to return to one of Canada's largest retailers.

Loblaw has confirmed that its yellow and black No Name brand is bringing frozen concentrated drinks back to its stores across the country.

'The new assortment includes White Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, Limeade, Grape Punch, Fruit Punch and Berry Punch,' Loblaw spokesperson Rachel Siekanowicz wrote in a statement to CBC News.

The new products are expected before the end of June.

The relaunch comes months after Coca-Cola discontinued its Minute Maid line of frozen juices."

I hope they make a go of it. They must see a demand there that others don't. Like I said when I last wrote about this, I can't remember the last time I saw anyone with one of these in their cart at the grocery store. At least Loblaw won't need to invest much in packaging design.

Read: Canned, frozen juice from concentrate coming back to Canadian shelves.

By the numbers X 10 + 1

• 1. 1 habit that will instantly boost your happiness

• 2. 3 reasons why holidays aren’t making you more relaxed

• 3. 4 common gardening mistakes that harm pollinators and what to do instead

• 4. 5 Indigenous musicians to know in 2026

• 5. These 9 AI-generated ads just won awards. Can you tell what's real?

• 6. Scientists capture first photo evidence of dwarf island fox not seen in 20 years

• 7. 22 new products Esquire's editors loved this week

• 8. 31 times in history revenge was served so perfectly it became the stuff of legend 

• 9. Archaeologists dug under Notre-Dame and discovered the secrets of 2,000 years of history

• 10. Debugging: Google requests permission to release 32 million mosquitoes in California and Florida

• Bonus: 20 new recipes to make in June, from caesar salad pasta to a whole lemon cake

CBC Radio's Under the Influence: Flexi discs

The June 11th episode of CBC Radio's Under the Influence with host Terry O'Reilly looked at the use of flexi discs in marketing "back in the day".

• June 11, 2026 - Flexi Discs: "This week, we look at a humble marketing tool. The flexi disc. These razor-thin, flexible vinyl records had poor sound quality, but they helped sell cars, hit songs, chewing gum, soap operas and even Beatles records. And in one case, a family won a million dollars with a flexi, and it nearly destroyed them." Click here to listen to the episode.

Under the Influence airs Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on CBC Radio One; Tuesdays at 4 p.m., Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on Sirius XM Channel 169. The show is also available as a podcast through your favourite podcast provider. Click here for the show's on-demand audio archive.

Car dealership cancels offer for vehicle made via its own AI chatbot

Well, this is just an awful example of how a business is forcing people to deal with AI chatbots and then regretting it. If that isn't bad enough, the business ended up siding with the chatbot over the customer.

"Oh just forget about what that silly chatbot told ya, buddy! We were just joking around!" Uhm yeah, tell that to a judge after you renege on written offers. See how fast your credibility goes in the toilet then!

One car dealership in Ontario offered to buy a customer's used vehicle for a certain price via its AI-driven chatbot, then when someone noticed the price at the dealership, they went, "Oh no!" They refused to honour the deal, until the customer called the media... and then - suddenly - the company found Jesus and decided to do the right thing.

Article excerpt: "After his 2021 BMW required major repairs, Zack Giacomelli decided last month he wanted to sell it back to BMW Toronto - the same dealership from which he bought the used car in 2023.

At first, the buy-back process seemed easy. After submitting an online inquiry, Giacomelli got a text from Quinn at BMW Toronto, who was eager to help. 

Quinn expressed sympathy for Giacomelli's car troubles and asked questions about the vehicle, which was still being repaired at the dealership. Later in the same text conversation, Quinn made a firm buy-back offer: $27,162.79.

Giacomelli, a 31-year-old funeral director, was satisfied, as the offer was just enough to cover what he still owed on the car.

'I felt this Quinn person was finally hearing me out,' he said. 'I was feeling really good.'

The good feeling didn't last. Moments later, Giacomelli said, a BMW Toronto sales consultant called to revoke the offer, explaining that Quinn wasn't a real person, but rather an artificial intelligence chatbot that had made the offer in error. "

Businesses that rely on AI chatbots for customer service can't just walk away from the so-called mistakes the bots make. They can't even really insert disclaimers about the chats. What are they going to say? "We're pleased to help you but don't believe a word this chatbot says?" Either stand behind what those chatbots tell clients - and take responsibility for mistakes - or get rid of them altogether.

Read: Dealership revoked offer to buy back customer's BMW, blaming wayward AI chatbot.

Before you go: 7 things you may have missed in the news

• 1. Tony Award winners list: Schmigadoon! wins best musical, Death of a Salesman lives on (see photo)

• 2. Louise Arbour becomes Canada’s 31st Governor General

• 3. "Do not consume": Milk recalled at Costco Canada

• 4. B.C. to become 1st in Canada to require commercial trucks have dashcams

• 5. Hasbro releases AI versions of its iconic characters, including Transformers

• 6. South Park creators remain defiant, promise more Trump takedowns in new season

• 7. Here’s where Canada Post is ending home delivery

Father's Day is on Sunday, June 21

Father's day is fast approaching! In fact, it's next weekend on Sunday, June 21! Here are some links to help you get ready to celebrate dear old (or young) Dad:

• 1. 5 Netflix action movies to watch with Dad on Father’s Day 2026

• 2. 7 Father’s Day tech gifts for the Dad who already has everything (2026)

• 3. Best golf polos for Father’s Day: 8 great shirts Dad will love

• 4. 15 Steak recipes guaranteed to win Father's Day

• 5. 18 of the best Father’s Day gifts that cost $50 or less

• 6. 24 Father's Day cookout recipes Dad will love

• 7. 24 Father’s Day gifts handpicked by a bike-obsessed Dad

• 8. I handpicked the 46 best Father’s Day gifts for 2026 that’ll make Dad feel like a king

• 9. Father’s Day Gift Guide 2026: Best tech for Dad

• 10. The best Father's Day gifts for the outdoor Dad who has everything

Trivia: Did you know?

The New Yardbirds was the original name of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin.

Founded in England in 1968, the band has sold more than 300 million albums worldwide, spawning hit singles such as Whole Lotta Love and Stairway to Heaven.

Quotes of note

• 1. "Death ends a life, not a relationship."

- Mitch Albom (1958-present ), American author (see photo)

• 2. "Fear not death for the sooner we die, the longer we shall be immortal."

- Benjamin Franklin

• 3. "Most of the dreams that have suffered to death were murdered by their own owners."

- Israelmore Ayivor, Shaping the Dream

• 4. "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."

- E.E. Cummings

• 5. "Just because you don't know what you want yet, it doesn't mean that there's nothing to want."

- Emily Henry, The Love That Split the World

• 6. "Everything's always ending. But everything's always beginning, too."

- Patrick Ness

• 7. "Graduation is not the end of education."

- Lailah Gifty Akita

• 8. "A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the lawnmower is broken."

- James Dent

• 9. "God, it was hot! Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken."

- Rachel Caine

• 10. "Wedding anniversary: A yearly event held in a life-long institution where the goal is not to graduate but to avoid being expelled."

- Craig D. Lounsbrough

Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group

In June, the group walks in Mapleton Park with meetup in the Rotary Park Lodge parking lot just off Mountain Road in Moncton.

Walking locations for July to September:

• July: Moncton riverfront trail. Meetup in the Classic Burger parking lot.

• August: Dieppe riverfront trail. Meetup at the end of Pointe aux Renards Street.

• September: Riverview riverfront trail. Meetup at the gazebo on Coverdale Road

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.

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.