Summer festivities kick off across Saskatchewan
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It's an action-packed weekend for Saskatchewan, with lots of family-friendly activities to enjoy.
Global's Nicole Healey takes us through some of the fun things happening this Canada Day long weekend in Saskatchewan, and why the tourism sector thinks it will be a kickoff to a great summer.
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CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Did 'bean mouth' really kill Pixar's Elio at the box office?
Social Sharing Why did Pixar's Elio put up the worst numbers in the studio's history in its opening weekend? The reasons professionals give for the sci-fi family movie's paltry $35 million US global box-office earning vary. But if you ask the internet, there's a far simpler issue at play. "Nobody wants the bean mouth style of character design," wrote one reader when commenting on a post-mortem of Elio 's bombing by the website Cartoon Brew. "It feels lazy, overused, and unoriginal." "The 3D CalArts 'bean mouth' style also just put a lot of people off," read a post on a Reddit thread about Elio 's failure. "Doesn't matter how good the story is, many people hate that animation style." The bean-mouth criticism is an opinion about Elio that's echoed across virtually every platform that allows comments: a one-to-one connection between character design and the audience's decision to stay home. More than that, it's become synonymous with an almost vitriolic hatred for a particular and supposedly ubiquitous art style. Animation journalist John Maher calls it a "pejorative and insult" that far outstrips the style's reach and misunderstands its origin. "It is a reflexive internet criticism," said Maher, the news director for Publishers Weekly. "People found a term that was snappy and catchy and easy to use. And so they hung onto it." Where bean mouth began The terms "CalArts style," "bean mouth" and "thin-line animation," all have different origins and meanings, but they all generally refer to a drawing technique exemplified by thin line-work, simplified features and bean-shaped mouths and heads. When it comes to how the "CalArts style" name came to be — Maher and others often point to Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi. Starting in the early 2000s, Kricfalusi wrote blog posts criticizing a particular style of art and derivative mentality he believed came out of the California Institute of the Arts — an influential arts and animation school founded by Walt Disney and his brother, Roy, in 1961. His criticisms were pointedly about the style championed by Disney, then copied to diminishing returns — including in movies like Treasure Planet and The Iron Giant. Though the animation in those movies looks nothing like what most people today think of as the CalArts style, the name stuck. And as many graduates of the school became associated with shows and movies that shared a similar bean-mouth design — including Elio, which has a pair of CalArts alumni listed as directors — the two names came to describe a common gripe. "That phrase has become a shorthand for a more fair criticism. Which frankly is: 'Animation as innovation rather than animation as imitation,' " Maher said. "But to call it all CalArts is just so silly and reductive and inaccurate — just fundamentally inaccurate." When asked if CalArts teaches the style, or even observes it in common use among students, Maija Burnett, the school's director of the Character Animation Program, says that's not the case. "Luckily, I can definitely dispel that," she said. "The results of the work from our program is extremely diverse. And so I do not think it typifies what comes from our programs at all." She also says it's unlikely that Pixar chose that animation style because it's cheaper, noting that the studio does most of its animation in-house, developed over years through huge teams, so they wouldn't need to default to any particular style an outside studio would find easier to work with. It's hard to say how pervasive the style is among Pixar movies. Typically only Luca, Turning Red and Elio have received the "bean-mouth" criticism. But Burnett says what people are likely identifying is an intentional technique studios employ. "Often, we can kind of tell like, 'Oh, yeah that seems like it's coming from Sony,' " she said, noting it's natural that Pixar would have a recognizable style because it's important to them both as a brand and as a studio. She says there's also likely a reason certain elements of the style are more widely used today. TV series, for example, often rely on animation techniques that work with contemporary technologies — such as the 1920s "rubber-hose" style of Felix the Cat, the "flash" animation of the early 2000s seen in Canada's 6teen, or the simplified "limited animation" style of Hanna-Barbera, the studio behind The Flintstones that essentially birthed a movement of low-budget animation in the '60s and '70s. As animation techniques progress, Burnett says they'll likely change again to fall in line with new technologies. She also notes that every art form and industry has eras where the output shares similar characteristics: from cubist paintings, to art deco architecture, to postmodern literature. The idea that the bean-mouth style is somehow more pervasive today might be related to nostalgia, she says, noting that the CalArts style was first identified around the time that social media became popular, making it one of the first animation trends to be subject to wider internet scrutiny. Finding like minds to discuss the art you grew up with gives people something to bond over, she says, and so does being able to name and shame the style that seemingly replaced it. Other issues plaguing Elio But box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian says the look of animated movies is rarely the most important factor in ticket sales, making it unlikely that's what sank Elio. "To me, that's a non-starter," he said, pointing to the Oscar-winning film Flow — animated with the free, open-source software Blender — as an example of how story trumps animation techniques. "That, to me, is like grasping at straws to find a reason that the movie didn't do it." The more likely culprits, he says, include the movie's minimal marketing, its PG rating and a lack of franchise tie-ins. And the more competitive landscape for original stories makes the market for animated movies vastly more challenging than when Pixar's Monsters Inc. or the first three Toy Story movies premiered. Maher agrees, and says the idea that fans suddenly abandoned Pixar over an animation technique is more depressing than believable. "That has nothing to do with thinking that it's like, a lesser work of art because of the shape of the character's mouth. Give me a break," he said. "If that's really what we are condemning art for at this point — we don't like the style so we're not even going to bother to understand the substance — we're in trouble."
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
What's open and closed in Ottawa on Canada Day 2025
Social Sharing Canada Day in Ottawa will be filled with free activities and fireworks, but make sure to check ahead to see what's open and what's closed. Most businesses and public facilities won't be open on the federal holiday, barring a few exceptions. Here's a look at what's opened and closed in Ottawa on Canada Day this Tuesday, July 1. Retail Stores in certain areas of the city such as the Glebe and ByWard Market can open on holidays under the province's Retail Business Holidays Act. This also applies to grocery stores. The Rideau Centre will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bayshore Shopping Centre, St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Place d'Orléans will be closed. Groceries Most grocery stores in the city will be closed, but there are a few exceptions. Alcohol All LCBOs will be closed. Select Beer Stores around the city will be open, but check here for details on your nearest location. What to know ahead of Canada Day in Ottawa 2 days ago Duration 1:34 From transit to fireworks, Jodie Applewaithe breaks down what you need to know as Canada Day nears in the nation's capital. Transportation There will be parking restrictions near Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court of Canada and LeBreton Flats, according to the City of Ottawa. Buses, O-Trains and Para Transpo are free all day. All OC Transpo stations will be open. Pimisi Station is the closest station to the main event at LeBreton Flats but passengers can also get off at Lyon or Bayview stations. Rural Shopper Route 301 will not run. Trail and road closures The City of Ottawa has released this handy map outlining closures: The following streets will be closed from 6 a.m. on July 1 until 2 a.m. on July 2: Wellington Street between Elgin Street and Vimy Place. Sparks Street between Lyon Street North and Bronson Avenue. Queen Street between Elgin Street and Bronson Avenue. Metcalfe Street between Albert Street and Wellington Street. O'Connor Street between Wellington Street and Albert Street. Bank Street between Wellington Street and Albert Street. Kent Street between Wellington Street and Albert Street. Lyon Street North between Wellington Street and Albert Street. Bay Street between Albert Street and Wellington Street. Bronson Avenue between Sparks Street and Albert Street. Commissioner Street between Albert Street and Wellington Street. Booth Street between Chaudière Crossing and Albert Street. Fleet Street between Booth and Lett Street. Lloyd Street between Fleet Street and Lett Street. Lett Street between Lloyd Street and Wellington Street. Onigam Street between Lemieux Island and Kichi Zībī Mīkan. Slidell Street between Bayview Station Road and Kichi Zībī Mīkan. Affected roads from Tuesday, July 1 at 7 pm to Wednesday, July 2 at 2 am include: Albert Street between Elgin Street and City Centre Avenue; and Slater Street between Bronson Avenue and Elgin Street. Affected bridges include: Alexandra Bridge, open to pedestrians and northbound vehicles; the southbound lane will be closed from Tuesday, July 1 at 6 am to 11 pm. Chaudière Crossing, closed in both directions to vehicles and pedestrians from Tuesday, July 1 at 6 am to Wednesday, July 2 at 2 am. Portage Bridge, open to pedestrians; closed to vehicles in both directions from Tuesday, July 1 at 6 am to Wednesday, July 2 at 2 am. Affected pathways from Monday, June 30 at 8 pm to Wednesday, July 2 at 2 am include: Chief William Commanda Bridge. Preparations ramping up for Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa 3 days ago Duration 2:57 Recreation Outdoor pools, wading pools and splash pads will be open with modified schedules. Many recreation centres will be closed but others will have altered hours and changes to drop-in schedules. The city suggests checking each each facility's page for more details. City-operated museums, Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe, and Shenkman Arts Centre will be closed. City services There will be no curbside green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection on Tuesday, July 1. Pick up will take place on Wednesday, July 2. In addition, the collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. Multi-residential garbage containers will be collected on the regular scheduled day. Collections of multi-residential recycling containers, bulky items and green bins will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. The Trail Waste Facility Landfill will be open on Tuesday, July 1 from 9 am to 5 pm. All branches of Ottawa Public Library will be closed. All services at Ottawa City Hall, Ben Franklin Place in Nepean, 255 Centrum Blvd. in Orléans and the Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Dr. will be closed. The Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Ave. will be closed. The City of Ottawa Spay and Neuter Clinic at 26 Concourse Gate will be closed. The City of Ottawa Archives and Gallery 112 at the James Bartleman Centre will be closed from Saturday, June 28 to Tuesday, July 1. Health, dental and child-care services The Site program office and supervised consumption services at 179 Clarence St. will be closed. The Site mobile van will operate from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The Sexual Health Clinic and satellite clinics will be closed. The city's dental clinics will be closed. The Health811 line will be open. The city's immunization program telephone line will be closed. All city child-care centres and Parenting-In-Ottawa drop-ins will be closed.
Global News
9 hours ago
- Global News
Lethbridge jam-packed with summer events ahead of Canada Day
With ribs smoking on the grill, dragon boats making waves in the water and residents parading for their beliefs, Lethbridge, Alta., is chock full of events leading up to Canada Day. Ribfest has once again stopped in Lethbridge, but this time the trucks are here for five days, wrapping up on July 1. Meanwhile, the 25th Rotary Dragon Boast Festival is set to entertain thousands just across the street at Henderson Lake. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the annual Lethbridge Pride Parade will liven the streets downtown. All this combines for a busy weekend and it doesn't even include the weekly events and activities, such as the summer farmers markets, Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens and more. 'We're super excited to be back in Lethbridge. It's such a beautiful city and the community here is always so welcoming,' said Kelsi McInnes, festival director for the Western Canada Ribfest Tour. Story continues below advertisement Ribfest has become a summer staple in the southern Alberta city and McInnes says the fact it lines up with the Dragon Boat Festival, Pride and other events is great for each activity. 'I think (patrons) are kind of hopping from event to event. They're going to hopefully go support the dragon boat races, but then they might come here and grab some ribs and grab a beer and listen to the music.' At the water's edge, Steven Urquhart, event chair for the Dragon Boat Festival, agrees the events only compliment one another. 'I think it's great for people to sort of circulate between these events. Of course, you can't be everywhere at once but I think it's wonderful to have these big events, it helps the city feel alive and also shows how much is going on.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy For a quarter century, the dragon boats have entertained the masses, becoming one of the largest annual events in Lethbridge. However, Urquhart says there's a whole lot more happening at Henderson Lake this weekend than just some skilled paddling. 'There's a whole festival side, you see all the food trucks, the beer garden. It's a whole weekend in and of itself and I think that's wonderful.' He says the economic impact of the festival surpasses on the million-dollar mark every year, making it crucial to hotels, restaurants and other industries. Story continues below advertisement 'We have teams that come from out of province, teams from (British Columbia), Saskatchewan, then from the United States, from Montana,' said Urquhart. The events aren't just for Lethbridge or southern Alberta residents, either. Related News Pickering Rotary Ribfest returns for 2025 'We're going to Ribfest, the dragon boat festival, (the farmers' market),' said Susan Thompson. Out enjoying Henderson Lake with her niece, Abbey Zellmer, Thompson recently travelled from out of province to take in everything Lethbridge has to offer this weekend. 'It's the perfect time we came,' said Thompson. For Zellmer, it's an exciting way to launch the summer, which she says is her favourite season. 'I feel really lucky because I just graduated and now I get to enjoy the summer break. My aunt (Thompson) and uncle just came in from B.C., so it's really cool that they get to experience this all too,' said Zellmer. For some of the youngest residents in the city, Canada Day itself will be the highlight of all upcoming events. 'Last year there was a dance and I liked watching the dances and there's really fun things to do,' said Isabela Morgado. She wasn't the only kid eagerly awaiting a chance to celebrate Canada's birthday. Story continues below advertisement 'I like seeing all the celebrations and I love to taste the food,' said Justin Soares. However, no food is worthy of tasting if it isn't made with love. Luckily, for guests at Ribfest, a chance meeting in 2022 means the food should be worth the wait. Ned Simpson and Brooke Weir both currently work for Blazin' BBQ, but three years ago they were on opposite grills, though nothing could keep them apart. 'We owe a lot to the ribs and the people who came out and supported us, kept us going throughout the years. So, it's fun to be here. We put a lot of that love we have for each other into our food,' said Simpson. For Weir, barbecue represents far more than great-tasting food. 'We're very lucky that we got so much out of barbecue that wasn't just barbecue. We've gotten so much out of this, it's fantastic.' Now she says Ribfest has transformed from a community event into something that feels a lot more like a family gathering. 'We cook dinner for everyone and you look out in the parking lot and everyone's eating the food you made for them. It's almost like one big family meal sometimes. It feels really good, really special,' said Weir.
