In this issue...
• Welcome back!
• Introducing the new Rose Michaels brand of colouring books!
• Jersey Milk chocolate bar discontinued after 101 years
• U.S. Cracker Barrel restaurant chain bows to pressure and drops logo update
• By the numbers X 10 + 1
• Zellers is making an official comeback with a first full-sized store in Edmonton
• Send a FREE happy greeting card to someone to brighten their day!
• Before you go: 7 things you may have missed in the news
• Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
• Buy them now! Acadian Recipes and More - Volumes 1, 2 & 3, and Forgotten Recipes - Volume 1
• The Hump Day Collection
... and trivia, quotes and more!
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Welcome back!
I hope you all had a good summer! And now the busy fall season begins with a return to school and work for many! Thanks again for subscribing to this newsletter and welcome to all new subscribers!
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Introducing the new Rose Michaels brand of colouring books!
Do you like to colour? Do you know people who like to colour? The new Rose Michaels brand of colouring books for people of all ages is now available on Amazon Canada for $13.99 CAD, Amazon USA for $9.99 USD and in a number of other international Amazon marketplaces, as well. (International prices vary.)
Current books include:
• Let's Color Some Shoes and Purses
• Let's Color Some Letters
• Let's Color Some Trees and Birds
• Let's Color Some Cars and Trucks
• Let's Color Some Rockets
• Let's Color Some Doors
• Petal by Petal 1-2
• Silly Happy Monsters 1-2
• Goofy Ghouls & Friends 1-4
Coming soon:
• Demons & Monsters 1-2
• Skulls & Flowers
• Mythical Creatures
• Owl Mandalas
• The Owls Coloring Collection 1-3
• Christmas Coloring Fun
To view the entire list of Rose Michaels' colouring books, visit her website or follow her Facebook page.
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Jersey Milk chocolate bar discontinued after 101 years
Oh wow. I hadn't bought one of these in years. Looking back, they were nothing special, really, just a good milk chocolate bar... but still nostalgic!
The Jersey Milk bar, however, is no more. One a staple of Canadian convenience stores and supermarkets, this Canada-only treat is now discontinued.
Article excerpt: "Mondelez Canada Inc. says it’s no longer producing Jersey Milk chocolate bars.
Spokesperson Pierina De Carolis says the confectionary company’s decision to cut the product came after a portfolio review showed consumers have shifted to buying other pure milk chocolate bars like Cadbury Dairy Milk.
De Carolis says in an email that Jersey Milk was only produced in Canada.
She adds the end of its production will not result in any job cuts."
Cherry Blossom is now gone... and now Jersey Milk. If someone comes for Coffee Crisp, though, I suggest we start a riot!
Read: Jersey Milk chocolate bars being discontinued amid low consumer demand. Related: Why was Jersey Milk cut from Canada and could other chocolate makers follow?
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U.S. Cracker Barrel restaurant chain bows to pressure and drops logo update
My goodness. This logo change for the American chain restaurant Cracker Barrel hit the news lately, and you would think they'd changed it to something pornographic instead of something quite banal.
In an effort to update and modernize a very old and busy logo, Cracker Barrel simplified it greatly and rolled it out, causing an outcry from customers that made national and international headlines. Nothing else changed - just the logo.
In the end, the chain relented and brought back the logo almost immediately.
Article excerpt: "The proposed logo redesign, which the company announced last week, removed the image of the restaurant’s 'Uncle Herschel' character leaning against a barrel that was prominently featured in the original, leaving behind just the words 'Cracker Barrel' against the outline of a yellow barrel. The phrase 'Old Country Store' was also removed.
The colors, which the company said were inspired by the restaurant’s eggs and biscuits, stayed close to the original.
Social media users were quick to blast the new logo, calling it 'generic,' 'soulless' and 'bland.' Conservatives in particular accused the restaurant chain of going 'woke,' by doing away with the classic American branding.
A YouGov poll of 1,000 adults over the weekend found that 65% of Americans were aware of the new logo and 76% preferred the old one.
The company addressed the backlash in a statement Monday, saying it has 'shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.'
Cracker Barrel has repeatedly stated that the new branding would not change the core values of the company."
Sometimes, ignoring the attachment to nostalgia isn't worth the risk, is it? Emotion can be an extremely strong factor in business success. I suspect the customer base for Cracker Barrel - from what I know of it - is happy with things just the way they are. I think the new logo is a million times better, for what it's worth.
Read: Cracker Barrel shares rise after restaurant chain gets rid of controversial new logo.
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Zellers is making an official comeback with a first full-sized store in Edmonton
Well, it looks like Zellers is coming back to Canada as an actual department store - and not just shoved into the corner of an existing Hudson's Bay store, now that Hudson's Bay is no more. To say the least, Canada seems to be desperately in need of a general merchandise department store, with really only Walmart filling that space now, although by the looks of Canadian Tire these days, they could be practically be considered one, too.
Article excerpt: "A north Edmonton mall will be the first in Canada to see the revival of the Zellers department store and first to fill a former Hudson’s Bay space, the shopping centre’s owner said Thursday.
Henry Zavriyev, the chief executive officer of Londonderry Mall owner Leyad, said the opening of the new Zellers on Monday will be a soft launch after Hudson’s Bay cleared out of the space at retail centre’s south end two months ago.
Leyad said in a media release it will be the first landlord in the country to secure a tenant for an ex-Bay store since the former Canadian department store giant closed its locations at the end of June.
Zavriyev said Zellers, which will occupy about 60,000 square feet on the main floor of Londonderry’s former Bay space, will offer "a lot of home goods and various clothing for men, women and kids" and will bring back its mascot, Zeddy the teddy bear.
He said residents of the neighbourhood that surrounds Londonderry Mall are 'exactly the kind that would want to shop at a Zellers.'"
While the new store in Edmonton didn't open on time, it looks like it will certainly fill a need for people wanting to shop in a Canadian-owned chain. With the push toward buying in Canadian establishments, the timing certainly looks right for Zellers to return. Even their mascot Zeddy is coming back!
Read: New Zellers store to open in Edmonton mall’s former Hudson’s Bay space. Related 1: Opening of new Zellers in Edmonton delayed. Related 2: Zellers returns - again - this time starting in Edmonton.
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Send a FREE happy greeting card to someone to brighten their day!
When was the last time you received a wonderful heartwarming greeting card in the mail to brighten your day? It's probably been quite some time, right?
The Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club wants to change that. They have launched a campaign called Inspiration which will see individuals receive cheerful greeting cards containing an uplifting message.
The cards are intended for anyone who would appreciate a happy message, be they health-care workers, teachers, students, seniors, retail or restaurant workers, delivery drivers or anyone else, including family, friends and neighbours.
The message inside each card reads, “Someone who thinks very highly of you wanted us to send you this sunny smile to brighten your day!” The cover of the card shows a smiling sun graphic accompanied by the words “Hi! Bonjour!” The cards are printed in both official languages.
Any names and addresses collected during the campaign will be kept confidential and not used for any other purpose. The cards are sent anonymously. Recipients will not know who made the request.
Requests for cards may be sent via email to inspiration@monctonsunriserotary.ca. There is no cost for sending or receiving a card. Requests must include the name and full mailing address of the person who will receive the card, including the postal code. The envelopes will be hand-addressed and sent with a real postage stamp. As well, Rotarians will hand-write a short greeting inside the card.
The Inspiration Campaign is a service project of the Greater Moncton Sunrise Rotary Club. Bricor Communications has also joined the campaign as a sponsor.
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Trivia: Did you know?
In 2024, the most popular name for male dogs in Canada was "Charlie", while for female dogs it was "Luna".
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Quotes of note
• 1. "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."
- Emily Brontë (1818-1848), English writer (shown in photo)
• 2. "If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."
- Benjamin Franklin
• 3. "September is the other January."
- Gretchen Rubin
• 4. "Summer ends, and autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night."
- Hal Borland
• 5. "September smiled at her wonderful friends in all their colors and bright eyes and gentle ways."
- Catherynne M. Valente
• 6. "How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days."
- John Burrows
• 7. "As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise."
- Peggy Toney Horton
• 8. "I said school starts tomorrow. I didn’t say I was going to be there."
- Kim Harrison
• 9. "Smartness runs in my family. When I went to school I was so smart my teacher was in my class for five years."
- George Burns
• 10. "Sunday is a teacher's day of REST: the REST of the laundry, the REST of the housework, and grade the REST of the papers."
- Heidi McDonald
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Enjoy the outdoors with the Greater Moncton Walking Group
In September, the group is walking on the Riverview Riverfront Trail, with meet-up at the gazebo on Coverdale Road in Riverview.
In October - to start its remarkable 20th year! - the group moves to Centennial Park, with meet-up in the parking lot up the street from the main entrance on St. George Boulevard.
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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Buy them now! Acadian Recipes and More - Volumes 1, 2 & 3, and Forgotten Recipes - Volume 1
My three volumes of Acadian recipe books (English and French) and Forgotten Recipes - Volume 1 are out now and make a great addition to your recipe book library or a gift for someone else! They are available on Amazon Canada, Amazon USA and in some local retail outlets in Southeastern New Brunswick:
• Chapters, Dieppe NB: Volumes 1-3, Forgotten Recipes
• Le P'tit Coin Acadien Poutine Râpée, Bouctouche: Volumes 1-3, Forgotten Recipes
• Jean Coutu Pharmacy, Champlain Street, Dieppe NB: Volumes 1-3
• Monument-Lefebvre, Memramcook NB: Volumes 1-2
• Centre culturel Kent-Sud, Bouctouche NB: Volumes 1-3 (French versions only)
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The Hump Day Collection
The Hump Day Collection 1 is now available for purchase through Amazon in ebook or paperback (300+ pages) format. The book contains 75 updated and revised Hump Day stories that ran for many years in a local newspaper. I've been asked many times to put these in book format, so I'm hoping you'll like it! For ebook lovers, the book is part of the Kindle Unlimited subscription-based program from Amazon. To purchase today:
• Chapters, Dieppe NB
• Amazon Canada: amzn.to/4gckiQX
• Amazon USA: amzn.to/3CnKfiF
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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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