Tips to take in the Tulip Festival this long weekend
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CBC's Natalia Goodwin shares some tips to avoid the hassle and make the most of the final weekend of the Canadian Tulip Festival.
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CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Meet Marilyn, the feisty feline giving a voice to feral cats in B.C.
Marilyn is shown in this photo posted to social media by the Regional Animal Protection Society's Cat Sanctuary. In the middle of June, a fluffy feral kitten appeared on the social media feed for a B.C. sanctuary for the first time – hissing with her ears flattened and claws bared, taking a swift swipe at a human hand poised for a pet. 'Hi. I'm Marilyn. I'm 10 weeks old and I don't like you. Don't look at me. Don't talk to me. And definitely don't try to pet me,' the caption read. 'I didn't ask to be rescued. I was perfectly happy being a tiny menace in the wild. But now I live in a house with a 'foster human' who keeps trying to win me over with kindness. Rude. Anyway, here's a video of me swatting her. Enjoy.' In the weeks since, posts channeling the voice of Marilyn have appeared almost daily – inspiring a devoted following and donations to the Regional Animal Protection Society's Cat Sanctuary, a facility that provides a forever home to hundreds of feral, surrendered or abandoned cats. Marilyn has emerged as a distinct personality, a dramatic diva who regards humans and animals alike with utter disdain. A queen who demands tribute in the form of treats. She describes herself in one post as 'still feral, still fabulous' and in another as 'still gorgeous, still offended.' The woman behind the posts is Lisa Friesen, who works for the organization along with her husband Ken. Too shy to speak with reporters and content to let Marilyn's posts speak for themselves, she declined an interview. Ken, however, did speak to CTV News about the feline phenom and the foster mom with the 'great imagination' who has given her such a distinct voice. 'There's just a bond between them two,' he said. 'At first even Lisa was afraid of her because she was so feral. But that's one thing about Lisa. She's good and great at taming feral cats here and at the sanctuary.' The couple is currently fostering 22 cats and kittens at their home, but Marilyn is the first one Lisa has felt compelled to feature in this way. She spends a significant amount of time with the cat each day, crafting posts and gaining trust. And Marilyn is gradually and grudgingly becoming fond of Lisa, allowing herself to be held and brushed and deigning to purr in response to human affection. Marilyn does not, however, care for Ken. Her distaste for him is described in one of her posts after he accidentally called her 'Marion.' 'Excuse me??? Do I look like a Marion? Am I a substitute librarian in a small-town mystery novel? I am MARILYN. Like Monroe. Like icon. Like drama, elegance, and danger all rolled into one purring, swatting, Churu-demanding package,' the post said. 'I hissed. I swatted. I glared so hard the stuffed bear fell over. Even the other kittens froze. One gasped. Another whispered, 'He's not gonna make it.' To be clear: I don't do Marion. I don't do mistaken identity. And I certainly don't do casual disrespect.' Marilyn Eyal Lichtmann, the CEO of the Regional Animal Protection Society, says the posts serve a purpose beyond entertaining. They educate the public by reinforcing the message that feral, surrendered and abandoned cats deserve a home and a future. 'This one really hit home. I thought it was just brilliant what the staff did to get the character out and how much fun they have doing it. It's absolutely fantastic,' he said. 'But this exemplifies why we exist as an organization, right? So Marilyn can have a voice at all, because anywhere else she would have been euthanized.' Ken agrees that the fanfare around Marilyn is having a positive impact. 'She is getting around, she is definitely – which is a good thing,' he said, adding that the sanctuary has recently received a few donations in her name and that the feedback on the posts has been overwhelmingly positive. While Marilyn is a social media standout, chronicling her journey in foster care also sheds light on the work the organization, its staff, and its volunteers do with cats that otherwise may be written off completely. 'When you read about Marilyn, it is exactly what we experience with feral cats. It had me on the floor laughing. I just I couldn't believe how on point it was,' he said. 'God only knows, we bring in so many different feral cats and every single one has a different personality. It's amazing how they get to know each one. They spend enormous amounts of time with each cat to try to get it comfortable and acclimated to their new situation.' RAPS, which is always I need of donations, is thinking about releasing a T-shirt featuring Marilyn as part of its fundraising efforts. As for Marilyn's future? 'That's up to Lisa,' Ken said. 'She spends over an hour every night with Marilyn. So, I guess you could say she's getting quite attached. And if it's long haired and fluffy, she's a sucker.' Regardless, like all cats taken in by the organization, this one-of-a-kind creature will be cared for. More information about the sanctuary and how to support RAPS is available online.
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' holds its lead atop the box office
This image released by Disney shows Pedro Pascal in a scene from "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." (Marvel/Disney via AP) LOS ANGELES — Marvel's first family stumbled in theaters in its second weekend, but still held on to the top spot at the box office. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' earned $40 million from 4,125 North American theaters, a 66% drop from a healthy $117.6 million debut. The film was accompanied by comedies 'The Bad Guys 2' and 'The Naked Gun' in the top three box office rankings. The superhero movie dipped significantly more than Marvel's previous film, 'Thunderbolts,' which took a 55 per cent dive in its second weekend. 'First Steps' is the last major blockbuster of the summer. It added nearly $40 million internationally in its second weekend, bringing the film's global total to $369 million. The movie's box office drop off was surprising given its strong reviews, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. Though the movie's debut weekend may have given box office results a strong push toward the $4 billion summer benchmark, August is off to a slow start, he said. 'It's a tough lift, but we might be able to get there. It really means that all the films are gonna have to stand on their own,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's gonna be about getting great reviews, having that staying power, that longevity in the marketplace.' Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' earned second place at the box office this weekend, with $22 million from 3,852 North American theaters. That was on par with projections and also in line with the first movie in the series, which brought in $23 million in 2022. Paramount's slapstick comedy, 'The Naked Gun,' also in its debut weekend, snagged the third box office spot, earning $17 million from 3,344 locations. Jim Orr, president of domestic distribution for Universal Pictures, said the solid debut for 'The Bad Guys 2,' coupled with strong audience reaction scores, 'should point to a very long, very successful run through not only the rest of the summer, but really, I think into the fall.' James Gunn's 'Superman,' which opened four weekends ago and already crossed $550 million globally, earned $13.8 million domestically this weekend, taking the fourth spot. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' followed with $8.7 million. The horror movie 'Together' had a strong debut weekend, coming in at sixth place and earning $6.8 million domestically, proof that August is a month for edgier and off-beat films, Dergarabedian said. 'That's what this month is about. It's not just about box office,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's also about providing really interesting, rewarding movie-going experiences for audiences.' Dergarabedian said he expects highly-anticipated movies hitting theaters in the next few weeks — including 'Freakier Friday,' and Zach Cregger's horror movie 'Weapons' — to give August a needed boost. The box office is currently up 9.5 per cent from last year. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' $40 million. 2. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $22.2 million. 3. 'The Naked Gun,' $17 million. 4. 'Superman,' $13.8 million. 5. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $8.7 million. 6. 'Together,' $6.8 million. 7. 'F1: The Movie,' $4.1 million. 8. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $2.7 million. 9. 'Smurfs,' $1.8 million. 10. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $1.4 million. Itzel Luna, The Associated Press
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
‘World's most unique basketball tournament' in Halifax highlights more than athletics
Get the details on this weekend's always popular Full Court 21 tournament, and find out about this year's #LadiesFirst initiative.
