Good morning. In celebration of tomorrow's Artemis II launch (more on that below), Canadian brewer Moosehead has put out a limited-edition freeze-dried take on its signature lager. Dubbed “Space Beer,” the non-alcoholic snack is a play on stereotypical astronaut food.
The fine folks at Moosehead were kind enough to send us a sample, and it was an interesting experience. The tiny puck certainly does taste like beer, though with a sort of processed aftertaste. Texturally speaking, the foamy way it dissolved was oddly satisfying.
If this sounds like a must-try, you can enter their contest to win a Space Beer prize package.
Today’s reading time is 5½ minutes.
MARKETS
| ▼ | TSX |
31,934.94 |
-0.08% |
|
| ▼ | S&P 500 |
6,343.72 |
-0.39% |
|
| ▲ | DOW JONES |
45,216.14 |
+0.11% |
|
| ▼ | NASDAQ |
20,794.64 |
-0.73% |
|
| ▲ | GOLD |
4,540.4 |
+0.36% |
|
| ▲ | OIL |
105.01 |
+5.39% |
|
| ▼ | CAD/USD |
0.72 |
-0.20% |
|
| ▲ | BTC/USD |
66,930.13 |
+0.58% |
Markets: Canada’s main stock index fell yesterday, driven downward by, you guessed it, investor uncertainty surrounding the war in Iran. Meanwhile, shares of Air Canada fell 2.2% following the announcement that its CEO will retire.
SCIENCE
A landmark lunar mission is ready for liftoff
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Source: NASA.
Just as we sit down for dinner tomorrow night, four astronauts may be getting launched deeper into space than any human being has ever been.
Driving the news: NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to launch as soon as tomorrow evening (though these things do often get rescheduled), marking the start of a 10-day trip around the moon and the first time since 1972 that humans have travelled to the lunar vicinity. Canadian Jeremy Hansen will be one of the four astronauts on board the rocket.
Assuming the mission goes to plan, Artemis II will set the record for the farthest humans have ever travelled from Earth.
Catch-up: The astronauts won’t be landing on the moon this time, but will be testing equipment, conducting experiments, and gathering information that will help figure out what will be needed for the dozens of lunar missions planned for the next decade.
Those tests include monitoring the astronauts' health. They will track workouts (they have a special machine to do deadlifts), their food intake (which includes brisket and quiche), and their sleep quality (the target is eight hours in a hammock).
Why it matters: NASA isn’t returning to the moon for the sake of planting another flag — the goal of the Artemis missions is to eventually build a base on the lunar surface that would allow humans to live, work, and launch more flights deeper into space.
Last week, NASA announced a US$20 billion plan to build that moon base, including habitats that can sustain human life and energy infrastructure like nuclear reactors. The holy grail of the mission is to eventually launch trips to Mars from the moon.
What’s next: If the Artemis II mission goes off without a hitch, NASA is planning to land people on the moon in 2028, although some spaceflight experts are skeptical that a two-year timeline is realistic.—LA
BIG PICTURE
Source: Ross Howey Photo / Shutterstock.
Air Canada’s CEO steps down following criticism of English-only condolence video. The airline announced that Michael Rousseau will retire by September, a move that comes after he took major heat — including from the prime minister — for not releasing a statement in French following a LaGuardia airport collision that killed two Air Canada pilots. Since Air Canada is headquartered in Montreal, the company is required to communicate important matters in both English and French. Rousseau said in 2021 he was too busy to learn the language, a remark he later apologized for. (Globe and Mail)
Federal and Ontario governments cut real estate development fees in half. In a push to spark homebuilding in the country’s largest market, the two governments will spend a combined $8.8 billion over the next decade to cut municipal real estate taxes and development fees by up to 50%. “This should help get more projects moving, delivering more units, offering more choice to buyers and renters,” Chris Spoke, head of development firm Toronto Standard, told The Peak. (CTV News)
Meta tests a premium subscription for Instagram. The subscription would include new features, including the ability to sneakily watch someone's story without them seeing (very LinkedIn Premium of them) and extending stories by an extra 24 hours. Meta is also considering similar premium offerings for Facebook and WhatsApp. (Bloomberg News)
📡 What else is on our radar:
Canada Post is officially ending most home delivery services as part of its restructuring plan.
Iran passed a law to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, President Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s energy structure if a deal isn’t reached soon.
Canadian tech startup Hopper has partnered with RBC to run its Avion travel rewards program.
Ottawa has awarded Airbus and L3Harris $1.5 billion in contracts to service Canada’s new aircraft fleets.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Source: BAZA Production / Shutterstock.
What they’re saying: “I think clearly there is a green light being given to government in terms of public opinion,” Angus Reid president Shachi Kurl told CityNews, referring to a hypothetical youth social media ban. The comment came in the wake of a new Angus Reid survey which found that 75% of Canadian respondents support a full ban of social platforms for kids under 16.
Why it matters: Following Australia’s landmark youth social media ban last year, other countries have either gone ahead with or begun investigating similar measures. The issue has become too big for Ottawa to ignore, and social media age restrictions will be a topic of discussion at the Liberal national convention next month. A ban now seems increasingly likely.
WORLD
The global energy crisis is about to get real
Source: Hamara / Shutterstock.
Think energy prices are high now? You ain’t seen nothing yet.
Driving the news: With the Strait of Hormuz now closed for nearly a month, nations across Southeast Asia and the Pacific region have been forced to find ways to cut energy use as their liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies dry up. The strait accounts for around a fifth of global LNG supply and, unlike oil, there are no alternative routes and few stockpiles.
Measures range from Thailand making civil servants work at home to the Philippines declaring a national emergency and ordering government agencies to cut energy use by 10-20%.
Asian countries have ramped up other forms of energy where possible — for many this means a return to coal — and LNG’s reputation could be permanently hurt.
Zoom out: Comparatively, oil hasn't faced quite the same shocks. Prices are still soaring, but are a ways off from record levels. This is because defence mechanisms like strategic reserve releases, rerouted shipments, and (admittedly) Donald Trump’s reassurances that a peace deal is on the way have all managed to gird supplies and bring some market stability.
Yes, but: These strategies won’t work forever (especially the one that relies on Trump’s Truth Social account). As is, combined measures have only absorbed, at most, ~60% of pre-war oil levels. Outside of more reserve releases it's unclear what else major economies can do.
Why it matters: Developing Asia-Pacific nations present a picture of what’s to come for the rest of the world if this war drags on. A recent Macquarie report estimates oil will hit an unprecedented US$200 a barrel price if Hormuz remains closed until June. Not only would this mean absurd gas prices and stagflation, it would necessitate energy cuts for wide swaths of the world.—QH
A MESSAGE FROM THE PEAK
That colleague doing extraordinary work deserves more than a Slack message.
The Peak's Emerging Leaders 2026 list is back for its sixth year, and we're looking for the next generation of Canadian business talent worth celebrating. With 12 categories spanning every major industry, there's room for the innovators, operators, and quiet overachievers you already know.
150,000 readers will see who makes the cut
Over 1,000 leaders recognized since we started
Any industry, any region, nominations are open coast to coast
ONE BIG NUMBER
🏀 31. Consecutive unanswered points that the Toronto Raptors scored against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, a new NBA record for points scored in a row in the play-by-play era. The Raps weren’t the only Canadian team setting records over the weekend — the Toronto Blue Jays pitchers set an MLB record for strikeouts (50) in the first three games of a season.
PEAK PICKS
Céline Dion is back: The Canadian singer will perform 10 shows in Paris this fall.
Why running and fasting don’t mix well. (Globe and Mail, paywalled)
Canadian Ryan Gosling’s film Project Hail Mary has officially become Amazon’s highest-grossing movie ever.
Why tourism to Morocco is booming.
Another heist: A museum in Italy was robbed of three paintings worth millions of euros.
Seven easy, high-protein weeknight recipes.
Think fast! It’s time to play today’s mini-crossword, the daily sudoku, Codebreaker, and Who’s Who!
