Toronto’s city council raise
Toronto city councillors will reportedly receive a three per cent cost-of-living pay increase, bringing their annual income up to the $100,000 level. So far, Mayor Rob Ford has been the only one to refuse the pay hike, which would bump his salary to $172,803 from $167,770.
According to CityNews, the salary increase came into effect earlier this month, and will be in retroactive effect until Jan. 1. Though councillors rejected the hike in 2011, the Toronto Sun reports that Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said he’s entitled to the increase because his pay has remained the same for four years.
The new annual salary for Toronto’s city councillors? $102,608.
Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger are getting married
There is a new power couple in Canadian music, after a spokeswoman for Avril Lavigne confirmed to People Magazine that the “Complicated” singer is engaged to Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger. Yes, you read that right.
Taking Facebook feeds by storm with word of the news, even the Canadian Press reports, “It’s a Canadian coupling nobody saw coming.”
Kroeger proposed to Lavigne after a low-profile six-month courtship that was kept completely hidden from the public. This will be the first marriage for Kroeger, 37, and the second for Lavigne, 27, who filed for divorce from Canadian Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley in 2009, after three years together.
The Nickelback frontman and Hanna, Alta. native popped the question to the Napanee, Ont. songstress with a 14-carat diamond ring on Aug. 8.
Surprising nearly everyone, many took to social media to discuss the engagement on Tuesday night, with many expressing their often-snarky reactions to the new CanCon power couple, resulting in the nationwide trending of the portmanteau hashtag, #Chavril.
Naked Prince Harry?
Speaking of Canadians… On the same day Prince William rescued an injured Ontario woman in North Wales, photos were released of his brother, Prince Harry, partying in Las Vegas.
TMZ.com released two photos of a fully nude Prince Harry covering his “crown jewels,” while wrestling with a mystery naked woman inside his VIP Vegas suite. In one photo, the prince was captured giving this woman a bear hug, next to a pool table.
Earlier in the week, the prince was photographed partying in a Vegas pool with a large entourage, while clothed, including U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. JEAH!
Speaking to TMZ, a Royal Family spokesperson said, “We have no comment to make on the photos at this time.”
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Joanna Adams writes about news and entertainment for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter at†@nowstarringTO.
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