As Yasmeen Lari looked out the car window across the Siran Valley in northeastern Pakistan, she grieved for what was no longer a lush vale with rolling green hills, trees and mountains. It was 2005, and the catastrophic earthquake that had killed as many as 79,000 people in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan one week earlier—on October 8—had reduced the valley to mud, rubble and flattened buildings.

The 65-year-old architect was there to help lead the reconstruction of settlements, but she had never done disaster work before. Lari was filled with anticipation after a two-hour flight from Karachi to Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, followed by this five-hour drive.

Darkness had fallen before her driver pulled into a dimly lit army camp where the military rescue operation was based; at 1,500 metres it was safer from aftershocks and rock slides than lower ground. When she stepped out of the car she was taken to the commanding officer, who talked to her about the villages that needed immediate help. The enormity of the task ahead hit her full force.

Lari, who had become Pakistan’s first female architect in 1964, was renowned for designing slick towers of glass and concrete in Karachi. But here, she’d be drawing plans for earthquake-resistant homes using stone and timber debris. Working from a rough cottage near the camp, she’d spend the next four months working with volunteer architects and engineers from Pakistan and abroad.

She would send her drawings with the volunteers, who walked through difficult terrain to reach mountain hamlets. There, they’d assist displaced families with sorting debris and building new and improved homes, even as temperatures plunged and snow began to fall.

“You can’t imagine the desolation,” Lari recalls of those early days in the mountains. Her team members, often the first people to arrive on the scene, were greeted with unexpected hospitality, given the circumstances.

On one visit, villagers pulled out their best salvaged chairs and table. “They had lost everything,” she says. “But they put this damaged table in front of us and covered it with a beautiful embroidered cloth. And then they served us their World Food Programme food: biscuits, tea and eggs.”

With each passing day, Lari was re-engineering her identity—from “starchitect” to humanitarian. The profession had been good to her, but she had become disillusioned with projects for corporate elites. And doing disaster-relief work felt deeply right. So she made it her new mission.

Post-colonial upbringing

Over the decades, Yasmeen Lari has won many awards and much recognition as an architect, social justice advocate, environmentalist and feminist. While it mayseem like an unlikely path for a girl who was born into a well-to-do family in 1941, she had an unconventional upbringing. Her father, Zafarul Ahsan, was a progressive civil service officer working on development projects in Lahore and elsewhere. Her mother, Nabiun Nisa, valued education and took pride in her role as a bureaucrat’s wife who could ride a horse and entertain guests with equal aplomb.

Zafarul treated his three daughters no differently from their brother, and Nabiun encouraged them to do well in school. Lari became especially aware of politics and poverty after Partition in 1947, when Britain ended its rule of India and carved off a portion to create Pakistan.

Dividing the subcontinent into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan resulted in the displacement of millions of people. Zafarul was made deputy commissioner of Lahore, which included overseeing refugee camps and creating residential areas. At home, he would talk about bereaved people, impoverished women selling sweets to the rich and the desperate need for housing.

“I understood for the first time that there can be adversity, and that people needed help,” says Lari. “My sisters and I were the first post-colonial generation. Many women had played important roles in the struggle for independence. It followed that women should participate in nation-building.”

An education

Listening to her father talk about the housing crisis and need for architects made an impression on Lari. On a family visit to London when she was 15, she applied to the school of architecture at Oxford Brookes University. She laughs as she recalls her boldness. “I was too young, and I didn’t have a portfolio of sketches or drawings, so they told me to learn to draw and then come back.”

After two years of daytime and evening classes, Lari was admitted to the architecture program as one of only five women in a class of more than 30.

Protected by her family and her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari (who passed away in 2020), Yasmeen Lari experienced little sexism or prejudice in England. Even Karachi, where she started working after returning to Pakistan in 1964, was progressive. Building-site contractors might test her mettle by making her climb wobbly ladders in her sari, but her married status and privileged background kept her mostly insulated from discrimination.

Lari gained inspiration by exploring the historic areas of Pakistan. In Kashmir and Sindh she admired the flood-resistant heritage buildings made with local materials to withstand extreme weather. And she loved the winding streets and beautiful terraces in Lahore and Multan. As architect for a Lahore social housing project in 1973, Lari listened to the local women and ensured that there were safe, open spaces to raise children and chickens alike.

Big time

Yet soon she heard the siren call of commercial projects, with their creative freedom, large budgets and luxurious materials. From 1980 to 2000, as her buildings rose across Karachi, including the Taj Mahal Hotel (now the Regent Plaza), the Finance and Trade Centre, the Pakistan State Oil House and the ABN AMRO Bank, Lari’s renown grew. She held senior positions in national and international architectural groups, was a member of governmental advisory councils and was a keynote speaker at conferences. “It was a very heady feeling,” she says.

Despite her success, she found ways to stay grounded. Lari and her husband, a historian, created the non-profit Heritage Foundation of Pakistan to celebrate and conserve the country’s historic architecture, art and culture. Lari wrote papers and books on these themes and helped save several prominent buildings.

But it wasn’t enough to offset her growing discomfort with corporate projects. In 2000, the thrill of winning big projects was gone, and Lari retired.

“I realized I was just working with rich people,” she says. She could no longer justify fashioning buildings out of unsustainable materials like polished granite and mirrored glass when corruption was rising and millions lived in poverty, with limited access to housing, sanitation and water.

“Perhaps with my present work, I am atoning,” says Lari.

Sustainable visions

In 2013, Lari was giving a tour of a village in the southern province of Sindh that had been rebuilt after monsoon floods so destructive they impacted some 20 million Pakistanis. In a crisp white kameez and printed headscarf that fluttered in the breeze, she watched as villagers showed off the buildings she had designed. “Our old buildings used to leak when it rained, but these stay dry inside,” one villager told Lari.

The new bamboo structures are covered in a mix of sand and lime called limecrete, which holds up well in Pakistan’s climate. And women can beautify their new homes by painting designs on them, an aspect Lari loves.

Pakistan’s location and melting glaciers place it within the top 10 countries most impacted by climate change over the past two decades, even though the country itself emits less than one percent of global greenhouse gases. Ironically, rebuilding projects funded by government and non-governmental organizations tend to use concrete, burnt brick, metal sheets and other expensive, non-local building supplies.

Lari points out that the creation and transport of these materials contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, with concrete being one of the worst offenders. Furthermore, they don’t perform well in severe weather.

In contrast, Lari’s shelters, inspired by traditional designs and made with sustainable materials such as reed matting, bamboo, mud and lime that are sourced locally first, can better withstand disasters. Bamboo homes on stilts allow water to flow through, while cross-bracing provides strength and flexibility during earthquakes. Lari’s insistence on low-cost, zero-waste and zero-carbon buildings reflects her commitment to the planet.

Trust local traditions

While her passion for sustainability has grown over the years, her faith in traditional relief funding and charity models has withered. Over two decades she has learned that the approach typically used by government and non-governmental organizations alike doesn’t work well. Locals are often treated like helpless victims, and megaprojects are developed using outside labour. Also, funds are often siphoned away via administrative fees.

“I have seen too much mismanagement when intermediaries are involved,” says Lari, who favours working at the community level. “These are the people who need me.”

Lari calls this local, cost-effective, participatory and zero-carbon approach “barefoot social architecture,” which is helping to create an ecosystem of “barefoot entrepreneurs.” For example, she has created a program that teaches impoverished people in Sindh province to construct buildings and to create and sell mud bricks, bamboo panels, terracotta tiles and other building materials.

Anyone can learn by watching DIY videos on Lari’s Zero Carbon Channel on YouTube. Also, workshops led by local experts and artisans are held at a training centre in Pono Markaz and at the beautiful, airy Zero Carbon Cultural Centre in Makli. Built by locals and Lari’s Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, the latter is the biggest bamboo structure in the country.

The town of Makli is located about 100 kilometres east of Karachi. Almost half the people in the region live in poverty, and many beg at the nearby Makli Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its nearly half a million tombs and graves. A day’s worth of alms might be 100 Pakistani rupees—equivalent to 50 cents and not enough to feed a family. When locals learn to create and sell tiles, organic soap and other products at the Zero Carbon Cultural Centre, however, they make at least four times that much. Skilled workers share their knowledge, creating more prosperity.

Women and youth gather at the centre to socialize and learn. “The women are uppermost in my mind,” says Lari. “They are the ones who really suffer.”

Household solutions

This feminist inspiration has fuelled many of Lari’s designs, which now include household innovations. For instance, more than 80,000 of her limecrete and smokeless cookstoves, called Pakistan Chulahs, have been built and decorated by villagers.

The device, which won a UN World Habitat Prize in 2018, costs about $10 to make and is fuelled with agricultural waste. The stoves stand higher than flood levels, making them safer than smoky, open cooking fires on the ground; they literally and figuratively lift women up.

Another one of Lari’s designs that benefits both women and the environment is a composting private eco-toilet shelter. About 10 percent of Pakistanis lack a toilet or latrine and must seek privacy outside, either far from their residence or at night. The eco-toilet provides better sanitation and hygiene, and more dignity.

Lari’s Holistic Villages project builds on all these advances to help villages become self-sufficient. At a cost of about $200 per household, villagers can build disaster-resilient bamboo houses, Chulah stoves and shared eco-toilets. They have access to solar-powered lights, hand-powered water pumps, instructions and assistance to produce their own food, and training to create income-generating products or businesses.

Lari says about 60,000 zero-carbon holistic houses have been built since 2010. Next, she wants to scale up—and rehabilitate one million households.

In 2022, floods struck again, as glacial meltwater and epic monsoon rains covered one-third of Pakistan, destroying crops, homes and villages. They displaced about 33 million people, many of them already below the poverty line. Lari and the Heritage Foundation organized artisans to create and supply another of her innovations: prefabricated bamboo walls for 3.5-by-3.5-metre quick-assembly shelters.

Creating connections

Lari now travels regularly from her base in Karachi to Makli, to events around the globe and to the United Kingdom, where she holds a visiting professorship at Cambridge University’s department of architecture. For the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier this year she created three stunning bamboo mosques that can be dismantled and reassembled. In 2020 she won the Jane Drew prize for raising the profile of women architects and, in 2023, the coveted Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Gold Medal. Even King Charles is a fan; one of her shelters can be found on his Highgrove estate.

Lari insists that anyone who wants to help the impoverished and flood-affected in Pakistan should go directly to the people. She recommends connecting with village leaders to help fund things like water pumps, solar panels and school computers. (The Heritage Foundation of Pakistan offers information about villages in need and how to direct donations.)

“It’s no longer a matter of just giving money and cleaning your conscience—you need to create connections,” says Lari. “We need to believe in people’s capacity to bring about change. I treat displaced people as partners, not victims. They know what to do.”

At age 83, Yasmeen Lari is still fizzing with ideas about zero-carbon designs, flood mitigation, skills building and self-sustaining villages. As she said when she accepted the RIBA medal, the honour “has strengthened my mission.”

Many young architects have told her that they find her work inspiring, which gratifies her. “Architects can no longer work for just the one percent,” she says. “That doesn’t allow them to serve humanity as much as they could.”

If you enjoyed this story, read about a website that channels aid directly to displaced Afghans next.

As Hallee McCoombes approaches the finish line of the 800-metre run for kids with a disability, the crowd is cheering wildly and chanting her name. The 10-year-old para-athlete had spent months preparing for the 2022 School Sport Australia Track & Field Championships in Brisbane. Now she has the hyper-focused expression that has become her trademark. Anyone who has seen her compete knows that nothing will stop her now.

With only 10 metres to go, Hallee tunes out all the noise and pushes forward with every ounce of her strength. She doesn’t have any feeling in her waist or below her knees, but pain sears her thighs. When Hallee crosses the finish line and falls into an exhausted heap, her twin, Jada, scoops her up in her arms. “You came in third!” she whispers to Hallee.

Hallee McCoombes has tallied numerous Australian track-and-field records in events for athletes with her type of impairments—100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, 1,500 metres, long jump, discus and javelin—and has set her sights on the Paralympics. It’s an amazing achievement for someone who wasn’t even expected to walk. Hallee was born with spina bifida, a neural-tube defect that affects how the spine and spinal cord form in the womb.

Her mother, Christine McCoombes, 38, shudders when she recalls learning about Hallee’s diagnosis. “The doctors also told us they didn’t know what kind of brain function she would have because she had hydrocephalus,” she recalls. “Fluid in the brain is common with spina bifida. We really didn’t know how much she’d be able to function physically and mentally.”

It’s no wonder that, regardless of how many times Hallee’s parents watch their determined daughter compete, their hearts burst with pride. “I cry every time, especially when people start cheering for her,” admits her dad, Gavin, 51.

A dream come true

Christine and Gavin met in 2007, when they were both working for a bank in Brisbane. Romance quickly sparked between them, and within two years they had married, started a cleaning business and set their sights on having children.

The journey to parenthood wasn’t easy: They faced the pain of multiple miscarriages. When they found out they were expecting twin girls in 2011, Gavin and Christine were over the moon. But the couple’s joy turned to anguish when Hallee’s spina bifida was revealed during Christine’s 20-week ultrasound.

“They couldn’t get a clear picture of the extent of it because her sister was taking up so much room, so they gave us the worst-case scenarios,” says Christine. “That really scared us.”

The doctors explained that they would typically recommend termination, but the situation with fraternal twins is more complicated: The wrong baby might be terminated. It was also possible that neither baby would survive the procedure.

Despite the grim outlook, Christine and Gavin chose to go ahead with the pregnancy; they had been hoping for a baby for too long.

To the McCoombes’ dismay, not everyone supported their decision. Some family members said they should terminate, and sometimes the couple felt very alone. Determined to keep going, they put on a brave face. They also followed their pediatrician’s advice not to look up information about spina bifida online because it would only add to their stress.

When Hallee and Jada came into the world in December 2011, their parents didn’t get to experience the emotional first cuddles they’d seen in the movies. Jada had to be whisked away seconds after birth because her placenta had ruptured, cutting off her oxygen supply. As for Hallee, her back was open, her spinal cord hanging out.

With both their newborns in intensive care, the new parents were left alone to deal with their fear and anguish.

Hallee underwent immediate surgery to repair her spinal cord and close her back. During the gruelling nine-hour procedure, a neurosurgeon placed Hallee’s neural tissues in her spinal canal and a plastic surgeon closed her back. Although the surgery was a success and Jada was also doing well, Christine and Gavin weren’t able to take their daughters home for another four weeks.

Hallee faced many challenges in her first year. As she recovered from surgery, she had to be placed on her stomach most of the time. Christine and Gavin needed to monitor Hallee’s breathing because sleeping on her tummy put her at a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome. And whenever the family drove somewhere, Hallee was placed in a car seat with a special lining to protect her back.

When she was three months old, Hallee had a procedure to remove some of the fluid in her brain; if left untreated, hydrocephalus can result in brain damage or even death. But the surgery failed, and she was back in hospital a few months later for a second attempt. To her parents’ relief, that surgery was successful.

As those early months passed, the McCoombes were pleasantly surprised to see Hallee hitting her developmental milestones shortly after Jada did, including talking, rolling over and crawling. “Her first word was ‘mama’ at 10 months,” says Gavin. “Her only big delay was walking.”

Most children start walking sometime between 10 and 18 months, but Hallee needed casts to realign her feet, which were twisted and pointed upward. When the casts were removed, she had to wear ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) and heavy boots to continue correcting the position of her feet. (Hallee, now 11, still wears AFOs to support her feet and ankles when she walks and runs; she gets around in a wheelchair over longer distances.)

Despite her struggles, Hallee had a secret weapon: a twin sister she was desperate to keep up with. “Jada definitely helped her with her disability,” says Christine with a smile. “Hallee needed a metal walking frame, and Jada would get in with her and move it for her. It was so cute!”

Hallee eventually started using the walker on her own. By the time the girls were two, they’d race around the house banging into walls and laughing. “They’d talk their twin language,” Christine says. “We had no idea what they were saying.”

Once Hallee started walking on her own at age three, her determination to keep up with Jada only grew stronger.

“I can do that, too”

Still, life was challenging for Hallee. At preschool, she often had to be held upright to be fed. And since she couldn’t regulate her body temperature, she suffered in hot and cold weather. Because of the demands of their business, Gavin and Christine employed nannies to care for the girls, who now had a little sister, Tia. But that made them feel as if the girls’ childhoods were passing them by. They knew they needed to make some changes.

So when the twins were five, the McCoombes moved to Elliott Heads, a coastal town 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, where life was less busy, giving Christine and Gavin more time with their children. They haven’t looked back. “Hallee has never been so happy,” Christine says. “I think it’s living on the ocean.”

Shortly after the move, Jada declared that she wanted to be a runner. Her parents signed her up for Little Athletics, a track-and-field organization for children and teenagers. After watching on the sidelines during Jada’s first training session, Hallee turned to her parents and said, “I can do that, too. Sign me up.”

Would she even be able to run? “Hallee doesn’t have feeling in her waist and lower legs,” explains Gavin, “which means she has issues with her balance and her muscle power.”

But Hallee’s parents has such strong belief in her that they signed her up. At first, she had to become more conscious of the vibrations created when her feet hit the ground and use that feeling to coordinate her movements. Before long she was running with Jada. “She had to work hard to maintain upper leg muscle and core support,” Gavin says.

In her second season with Little Athletics, Hallee started competing in running events for kids with a disability. The McCoombes were soon taking both girls to competitions around the country.

Hallee’s new-found passion wasn’t without its challenges. Her legs ached badly during and after races, and she feared that people would laugh at her. Gavin and Christine helped her work through her anxiety by attending all her events. In fact, nobody laughed; people marvelled at her fierce determination.

Hallee’s parents, however, weren’t spared criticism. “Some people thought we were too hard on her or that she was in pain and didn’t want to do it,” says Christine. “But we could see the benefits she was getting. Hallee just loved it.”

Participating in athletics was also good for her mental health—she learned what she was capable of and became even closer to Jada. “Hallee still gets anxious, but sport has helped so much,” says Christine. “It’s made her happier and more resilient.”

And the physical rewards speak for themselves. While most children with spina bifida require dozens of surgeries to treat bowel and bladder problems, as well as orthopedic issues like contracted muscles, dislocated hips and deformed feet and ankles, Hallee has undergone only 10 so far.

“She’s been able to put off ankle, foot, leg and knee surgeries,” says Gavin. “That’s not to say she won’t ever need them, but surgeons believe that getting out of her wheelchair and being so active has strengthened muscles that would normally be weak. They’ve told us, ‘Whatever you’re doing is working, so keep doing it.’”

Occupational therapist Karla Kirchner has worked with Hallee for three years to improve her gross motor skills, core strength, cognitive skills, sensory processing and emotional regulation. She dubs Hallee a “miracle girl” but is quick to point out that she wouldn’t be where she is today without her determination to beat the odds.

“She has surprised every health professional,” says Kirchner. “She’s a go-getter, a hard worker and a positive ball of energy. Her work ethic would put anyone to shame. The power of ‘I believe I can, therefore I do’ applies to Hallee.”

When she was six, Hallee started competing in triathlons. In the version of the event open to para-athletes aged five to 12, competitors swim 100 metres, cycle two kilometres and run 500 metres. Hallee uses a modified trike in the cycling segment.

She also does shot put, discus, javelin and long jump. At age eight, she added wheelchair tennis to her roster—a discipline that may be her ticket to the 2028 Summer Paralympics in Los Angeles.

“I want to go to America to see my granddad,” says Hallee with a grin. Christine’s father, who lives in Nevada, has always been very close to Hallee. “She hasn’t seen him since before Covid, but he FaceTimes her every morning,” explains Christine. “We often call him when she’s racing so he can see her compete.”

Wheelchair tennis may be the only way Hallee will qualify for the Paralympics, which has no events for athletes with lower-leg impairments who compete without prostheses. Her AFOs aren’t considered prostheses because they don’t replace a missing body part.

“It’s a battle we keep fighting,” says Gavin. “I emailed the Paralympic Committee in Germany to ask if they would offer an event for that classification, but I didn’t get much of a response. I think they should include that option, and if it turns out there aren’t enough athletes, then it doesn’t happen. But at least it would give people like Hallee something to aspire to.”

Adds Christine, who as a project coordinator for Little Athletics Australia advocates for inclusion in sport, “We just have to keep fighting or there won’t be any change.”

A bright future

When she isn’t training, competing or getting physical therapy, Hallee enjoys chatting online and playing Roblox with her friends on her tablet.

But Hallee has a few more tasks on her daily to-do list than her friends do. For one thing, many people with spina bifida experience bowel and bladder dysfunction, so Hallee can’t go to the toilet like most people do. She needs a catheter to empty her bladder and she has to do a bowel flush every second day. “Hallee has a tube in her belly button that’s connected to her bowel,” explains Gavin. “We open the cap and flush through a solution using a syringe and an adapter.”

Hallee and Jada still go to competitions together and are closer than ever. “They’re in separate classes at school, but if one is having an issue, the other one seems to know,” Christine says. “At night, we can’t separate them. They’re always snuggling.”

Nine-year-old Tia looks up to her older sisters. She also does athletics but has told her parents that she doesn’t want to compete because she wouldn’t be as good as Hallee and Jada.

If Hallee qualifies for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be held while she’s still in high school, she’ll consider trying out for the 2032 Games in Brisbane.

And after that? All Gavin and Christine want is for Hallee to be happy and independent. As for Hallee, she dreams of being a midwife. It’s something she told her mum a few years ago but was torn because she also wanted to be a Paralympian. Christine told her that she could do both; if she made it to the Paralympics, she could tick that off her list, then study to be a midwife.

When asked what she would say to other children with a disability, Hallee offers two powerful pieces of advice: “Don’t listen when people say you can’t do something. And try your best.”

Next, read about the blind skier from Alberta who competed in the 2016 Paralympics.

The snowstorm was supposed to hit on the evening of Monday, January 31, 2022. I was working from home but I had to leave that afternoon and go to my office at First Nations University in Regina so I could sign an emergency bursary cheque for a student. As the director of finance, I wanted to get it to him as soon as possible, Saskatchewan snowstorm or not. Besides, I wasn’t worried. I figured I had lots of time to make it to the office and get back home.

The route to the university takes about 30 minutes, straight east along the Trans-Canada Highway on land as flat as a pancake. When I got there, my colleague came to my office to co-sign the cheque, then he left for the day. As I was packing up, I noticed he had left his laptop bag in my office.

“Shoot,” he said when I called him. “I’m already home.”

“I can bring it to you,” I assured him. It was just past 4:30 p.m. The snow wasn’t supposed to start until later, but just to be safe, I decided to use the country roads near his home instead of the highway, which could fast become a skating rink. On the way, I filled up my SUV with gas and picked up two stuffed-crust pizzas because I’d promised my 15-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son I’d bring some home for dinner.

It took me about 15 minutes to get to my colleague’s house, where I dropped off the laptop case and got right back on the road. Then the snow started—and it was coming down fast. Within minutes I was in a whiteout. The storm was a “snownado,” or what the TV meteorologists call a Saskatchewan screamer, because it comes in fast and is so windy that it screams.

It was terrifying!

Hunkering down

The road soon went from paved to gravel, so I had to reduce my speed. I rolled down my window, thinking I could follow the edge of the road and keep to a straight line. But really, I hadn’t a clue where I was or even which side of the road I was on. At one point, I don’t know exactly when, I stopped because I was afraid of driving into a farmer’s field, the ditch or worse. I kept the car running to keep warm and called 9-1-1. The dispatcher told me to sit tight and wait things out for the night—nobody was coming to get me until morning at the earliest.

Those seconds after the call were the worst of my life. Getting out to walk in a whiteout with zero visibility, high winds and a temperature that was hovering around -10 degrees C—when I didn’t even know where I was—wasn’t an option. But I worried other drivers wouldn’t see me and would smash into the car. Or that the tailpipe would get clogged with snow and I’d die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Or that the storm would be longer than predicted and I’d be found too late. Breathe, I told myself. Panicking won’t help.

And my kids! It was the first time they’d ever be spending a night without me at home. I called and told them what was happening, forcing myself to sound calm. I didn’t tell them I was terrified. That I, a problem solver all my life, couldn’t figure out what to do.

It was now about 6 p.m. and dark. What would my black SUV look like in a whiteout at night? Would it appear as a shadow? Or worse, would it be invisible? Suddenly a truck drove by, barely missing me. It was close. At first, I was scared. But then I thought, salvation! I put the car in drive and followed the truck, desperate, driving slowly with no idea where we were going. When it suddenly turned, I didn’t know what to do.

“I’m going to the beach,” the driver shouted through his open window, his words almost lost in the wind.

I knew the beach wasn’t in the direction of my home. I had no idea where I was. So I stopped the car and texted my colleague whose laptop bag I had just returned. I joked about my good deed ending in disaster. But he had an idea. “Pin your location on Google Maps and send it to me,” he said.

I did, and a few minutes later he texted me back a screenshot of the satellite view of where I was. We figured out that I was on a road called Bouvier Lane, in between two farms. It was now 6:30 p.m. I posted this new information to my Facebook community group, pleading for anyone who knew who lived on the farms to help me get rescued.

After that, all I could do was sit in the car and try to stay warm. I was so glad that I’d just filled it up. I’d done all I could, and no matter what happened, I had to be at peace with that. But even if someone did figure out where I was, would help be able to come through the swirling snow and shrieking wind?

Help arrives

Soon enough, though, people started chiming in on my post. They knew the family who lived there! I got a message from someone who was going to put me in touch with them. At 8 p.m., my cellphone rang. It was the son of the farmer who owned the land beside the road I was stranded on. He told me that his dad was coming to get me!

Then, about 45 minutes later, I saw a tall figure in a yellow rain slicker striding toward me in the dark, carrying a flashlight. Oh my gosh, was I relieved to see him! It was André Bouvier, who’d walked half a kilometre through the blizzard to come get me, fighting the wind and snow each step of the way, shielding his eyes from the stinging snow with a mittened hand.

“Can you drive?” I asked, shakily, through the car window. “My nerves are shot.” Despite his strong stride, now that he was close up, I realized he was an elderly man.

“No,” he replied, his voice steady. “I want you to follow me in your car. You’ll be okay.”

He turned around and started to trudge through the snow, sure of the direction. I drove slowly behind him, clutching the wheel, feeling my heart begin to beat more slowly. When we reached the house a few minutes later, I got out of the car and burst into tears, all my fears turning into relief and gratitude.

Safe and sound

As his wife treated me to hot drinks and apple sauce, André, who I’d learn was 80 years old, said he’d noticed two other cars stranded, too, and he went back out into the storm to get them: a father and his two kids and a couple with their daughter. That’s the kind of guy he is: a guy whose energy and outlook is so much younger than his actual age.

We all spent the night telling stories, the kids ate the pizza I’d bought, and we slept scattered around the house, on sofas and La-Z-Boy chairs. By 5:30 the next morning, André had cleared the snow from his driveway enough that we could all get out and drive home, which in my case ended up being only five minutes away. The storm turned me around so much, I didn’t realize how close I was. Even so, I couldn’t have gone any further without risking my life.

The experience gave me a new perspective, letting me approach challenges and surprises with a sense of calm. It reminded me to always reach out and help others—both friends and strangers. But best of all, it brought André into my life. We’re still in touch, and I know we’ll be friends forever.

André Bouvier was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his “outstanding service and citizenship” that night.

Next, read this terrifying true story about a man trapped in his basement during a flash flood.

Eight years ago, neurologist Dan Gibbs was sitting in a room with two dozen doctors and researchers. He was getting ready to look at brain scans—not a patient’s, but his own. They would definitively answer a question he had had for years: What was wrong with him?

It started when he was 55 and working as a neurologist in Portland, Oregon. He noticed he couldn’t smell certain things, like flowers. Then he began to smell things that weren’t there, like baking bread, perfume or citrus. He randomly got a clue as to what might be the cause after doing an at-home DNA test to find out more about his family tree. The results showed he had two copies of a gene, APOE4, that increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. He was shocked: Before his genetic test, it had never occurred to him that he might get the disease.

At the time, he did not have memory symptoms, but over the next few years, he noticed some mild memory problems, like forgetting his colleagues’ names and having difficulty memorizing his new office phone number. That, combined with his background as a researcher, led him to participate in a study at the University of California, San Francisco, that was focused on diagnosing Alzheimer’s.

And now the results were in.

The researchers pulled up the pictures and showed him beta-amyloid plaques in different parts of his brain, including his prefrontal cortex and the olfactory area, which controls smell. It was a sign of early-stage Alzheimer’s. Surprisingly, Gibbs was happy: “When they showed me the scans, it was a relief to have a firm diagnosis,” he says.

What is dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms contributing to a decline in memory, thinking, reasoning and social abilities. It’s progressive, and some people with dementia will need 24-hour care at the end of their lives.

Fifty-five million people around the world have dementia, including 5.8 million in the United States and almost 600,000 in Canada. While only one percent of those aged 65 to 69 have it, the risk of a dementia diagnosis doubles every five years between the ages of 65 and 84. One in four people over age 85 have dementia.

But breakthroughs in treatment and testing this year have given new hope to researchers like Dr. Don Weaver, director and senior scientist at the Krembil Research Institute at the University Health Network in Toronto.

“There’s genuine room for optimism,” he says. “The research is moving at a faster pace than ever before.” That’s come to fruition with new treatments, plus groundbreaking tests that are in the pipeline.

There are about a dozen different causes of dementia. The most common is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60 to 70 percent of dementia cases. While the cause of Alzheimer’s is not yet fully understood, researchers have been focusing on the malfunctioning of two specific brain proteins.

The first, beta-amyloid proteins, are a normal part of the central nervous system, and are usually cleared out of the brain. In a brain with Alzheimer’s, however, these proteins are not properly cleared away. The protein clumps together in between neurons, creating deposits called amyloid plaques, which disrupt cell function.

The second type, tau proteins, are primarily found inside neurons. In people with Alzheimer’s, this protein, which normally assists in the transportation of nutrients throughout the brain, accumulates and becomes “tangled” inside the neuron. The buildup of these two proteins impacts the capacity of brain cells to communicate. Eventually they kill the cells, affecting a person’s ability to think and remember.

Other types of dementia include Lewy body dementia, in which protein deposits called Lewy bodies build up in the brain, affecting thinking, memory and movement; vascular dementia, which can happen after a stroke or blood vessel damage reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain; and frontotemporal dementia, when the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink. The latter can happen to people as young as 40; it was in the spotlight earlier this year after actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with it at age 67.

New drugs for Alzheimer’s

For decades, the treatment of dementia has seemed frustratingly dormant. Two classes of drugs that were introduced three decades ago improve symptoms: Cholinesterase inhibitors boost acetylcholine, a chemical the brain needs for alertness, memory and judgment; and memantine regulates glutamate, a chemical messenger needed for learning and memory. But neither limits the disease’s progress. Launched two years ago, the drug Aducanumab can reduce buildup of amyloid plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, but has not been proven to slow cognitive decline.

Now, finally, years of research progress is bearing new fruit, and we’re on the brink of major advances in treatment and prevention.

“The new drugs are big, exciting breakthroughs,” says Gill Livingston, a professor of psychiatry of older people at University College London in the United Kingdom and lead of the Lancet standing committee on dementia prevention, intervention and care. She adds, however, that it’s still early days and there are some big hurdles to clear.

In January this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug that slows the progress of Alzheimer’s rather than just treating the symptoms. (The FDA is often the first to approve drugs, and they then become available in other countries such as the U.K. and Canada in the years after.)

In clinical trials, people with Alzheimer’s who took the drug lecanemab (Leqembi) for 18 months showed their rate of memory and cognition decline was 27 percent less than in those who took a placebo. But it’s not clear what the decline translates to in the real world.

As Dr. Roger Wong, clinical professor of geriatric medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, explains, “We need to know what this means to a person living with dementia. An improvement in functionality is what we’re really looking for.”

In addition, there are downsides to the new drug, which is given by IV. It’s expensive, and can have serious side effects including bleeding in the brain.

A second drug, donanemab, not yet approved by the FDA, has also shown promise in clinical trials. It slows the rate of cognitive decline from Alzheimer’s by about one third. But, like lecanemab, it can have serious side effects.

“So we’re not quite there,” says Livingston. “But it’s fantastic that we’re beginning to be there.”

Big leaps forward in prevention

In the past few years, our knowledge about the prevention of dementia has increased dramatically, and many issues that cause dementia are actually now treatable. “We have finally sorted out what the risk factors are, and we are paying attention to them,” says Weaver of the Krembil Research Institute in Toronto.

According to a 2020 Lancet report led by Livingston, 40 percent of dementia cases could be avoided. The number-one factor was hearing loss, which can affect your ability to converse with others, leading to isolation. “That really surprised us,” says Livingston. “And it’s a reversible risk, because you can change it by simply using hearing aids.”

Spending time socializing was another important lifestyle factor. “Talking to other people stimulates your brain and gets it working because you have to engage, you have to think,” Livingston explains.

Getting 150 minutes of exercise a week can keep your heart in good shape, which translates into a healthier brain. Having a stimulating job also helps, as does getting more education earlier in life—it boosts what’s known as your cognitive reserve, so even if you do suffer from a loss of cognitive power, you have some to spare. Treating depression is also important.

And then there are things to avoid: Smoking and air pollution raise the risk. Plus, it’s now known that traumatic brain injury also raises the risk, as do heavy drinking, having high blood pressure or diabetes, and being obese.

“We now know that for many people, dementia is not inevitable,” says Livingston.

Blood tests for more accurate diagnosis

Just as important as new medications are breakthroughs in diagnosis. Multiple blood tests for Alzheimer’s, which have been used widely in clinical trials, are expected to be available to the public before the end of 2023, according to Gil Rabinovici, professor of neurology and radiology and director of the University of California, San Francisco Alzheimer’s disease research centre.

“I think the blood tests and new treatments that are coming are going to really transform how we practise and how we care for people with memory loss,” says Rabinovici.

Currently, Alzheimer’s is diagnosed by doctors through a combination of means, including reviewing symptoms and family medical history, physical exams and brain imaging. Doctors will also administer cognitive tests, such as asking people to remember a list of words, draw a clock or name as many animals as they can.

What’s missing from this evaluation is direct and conclusive biological evidence of Alzheimer’s—meaning the diagnosis relies heavily on the doctor’s expertise, says Rabinovici. Weaver agrees. “It’s not like rheumatoid arthritis, for which we can do a blood test, or pneumonia where you can do an X-ray and go, ‘Yep, you’ve got it.’”

That’s important, because according to a 2012 study of people with mild to moderate dementia, about 30 percent of people clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s were discovered via autopsy to have not actually had it. For those with only mild cognitive impairment, which is harder to diagnose, accuracy would be even lower, says Rabinovici.

In some cases, that would mean that instead of having Alzheimer’s disease, people might have vascular or Lewy body dementia. However, for others, their symptoms are caused by something reversible, such as sleep disorders like sleep apnea, mood disorders such as depression, or hormonal changes. Medications including those used to treat insomnia, incontinence and allergies can negatively affect cognitive function, especially in older adults.

With new Alzheimer’s drugs becoming available, in the U.S. for now, it’s even more important that doctors have the right diagnosis before they prescribe them. An accurate diagnosis allows people to make crucial decisions such as whether to quit their jobs or move into assisted living, and for their families to plan for caregiving support.

Michelle Mielke, chair of the department of epidemiology and prevention at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, says an earlier and more accurate diagnosis, which a blood test may provide, could transform health care in the future.

Plaques start developing in the brain about 20 years before symptoms begin, she explains, and not everyone with plaques will develop cognitive impairment. She says that years from now, “just like we screen people for their cholesterol because we know it is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, we might be able to screen people by a certain age for amyloid and tau brain proteins. And if they are elevated, we could try a treatment plan of medications that will delay or prevent that person from ever developing symptoms.”

Putting more focus on caregivers

Caring for a family member with dementia can be incredibly stressful, and for a long time, caregivers’ needs have been overlooked. Now their struggles are better known, thanks to research findings. A review published in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience in 2022 found that in developed countries, up to 85 percent of caregivers developed depression, and up to 45 percent developed anxiety.

The good news, however, is that community support is growing. Initiatives include “memory cafes,” where caregivers can go with their loved one who has dementia to have a coffee, share in activities, find community—and just feel normal for a while. There are more than 1,200 memory cafes around the world, with some 40 in Canada, 700 in the U.S., 90 in the U.K. and countless others across Europe. (Your local Alzheimer’s organization can help you find one near you.)

Other public places, such as museums, are also getting on board, running “dementia-friendly days” to offer a supportive environment for people with cognitive issues and their caregivers. And Alzheimer’s organizations in many countries have programs to support dementia-friendly communities.

For example, Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the largest of dozens of American cities that have become “dementia friendly” under the Dementia Friendly America initiative. The city has added memory cafes, and runs Dementia Friends presentations that educate people about the condition and how to help those who have it. Phoenix’s airport offers green cactus-printed lanyards to people with dementia or other invisible disabilities, which indicate to staffers that they may need help.

Similarly, in the U.K. hundreds of communities now offer training about dementia to municipal staff, put clear signage at eye level and mark glass doors so they’re more visible. In one town, Aberfeldy, Scotland, the local movie theatre is promoting films that are suitable for someone with dementia. Soccer’s governing body has backed the Alzheimer’s Society’s new Dementia Friendly Sports Clubs and Venues guide; Wembley in London will become the U.K.’s first dementia- friendly national stadium. The goal is to improve the match-day experience for people living with dementia, since they can find sporting venues disorienting and overwhelming.

Paula Spencer Scott, the U.S.-based author of Surviving Alzheimer’s, knows firsthand how hard caregiving is. She cared for her father-in-law, who had dementia. “Truly the most intense emotions I’ve ever experienced have been from being a live-in caregiver,” she says. As a coping mechanism, she and her husband used to say to each other, “It’s not him, it’s the dementia.”

“Intellectually, you know that,” she says. “But emotionally you can just be so frustrated and almost angry with the person, and then you feel guilty.”

Though it’s not a full solution, there’s now a push for caregivers’ work to be financially supported. In the U.S., for example, many states now allow children, grandchildren and even friends to be paid for caregiving through Medicaid, and more and more are allowing spouses to be paid as well.

The U.K. and Canada also offer financial support; in the U.K., people who make less than a set amount qualify for a carer’s allowance, and Canada offers tax breaks to caregivers.

Programs to support caregivers are effective at preventing some of these issues, but it can be difficult for people providing full-time care to access them. Increasingly, information and support groups are being offered online, so that those who are caregiving without a break can log in from home at a time that works for them.

“It’s been a breakthrough for caregivers that there’s an increasing emphasis on their emotional and mental health,” says Scott. “Over the last 10, 15 years there has been a huge groundswell of support.”

This also helps reduce the stigma about people with dementia, says Gibbs. “I’m very upfront with telling people about my Alzheimer’s. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I went to our 50th college reunion, and I talked to my classmates about it. Sometimes I think we’re too hesitant to engage people with dementia.”

More clarity on the causes of dementia

Weaver feels that over the past two decades, there has been a myopic focus on amyloid plaques. “The new drugs demonstrate that amyloid plays a role, but it’s only one part of a big picture.”

His lab is researching another factor: inflammation in the brain. “I think of Alzheimer’s as an autoimmune disease of the brain, where the immune system is turned on by multiple factors like air pollution, depression or infections,” he says. “Now you have a hopped-up immune system on a search-and-destroy mission in the brain. It’s wandering around inside your skull, and oops, it searches for and destroys a few neurons, which causes inflammation.”

Other researchers are also looking in different directions, he says: malfunctioning of the brain’s mitochondria, which produce energy for cells; distortion of the brain’s lipids; or damage to diseased cell membranes, which can kill the cell. Treatments being tested for other possible dementia causes include stem cell therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Weaver will always remember one of his first encounters with a dementia patient, a military veteran. “The poor man was so confused that he was hiding under his hospital bed,” Weaver recalls. “He was reliving his war experiences. I got down on my hands and knees and looked into this man’s eyes. It was heartbreaking. I thought, ‘We’ve got to do something for these people.’”

After the frustrating decades since then of delivering the news to thousands of patients that they have dementia, he’s more determined than ever to finally be able to tell them, “I have something that can help you.”

Next, read more about the 13 signs of dementia and how to spot them early.

The printed book is back. Recent studies have shown that students retain more information when they read a hard-copy book, compared to reading on a digital device.

One school near where I live responded to these findings by ditching its e-readers. The students found, according to a teacher, that “the ease of navigation” was superior when using a traditional book.

I love the way we now judge printed books using the language of the digital world. E-books may come with a “suite of navigational tools,” but it turns out that the best navigational devices are your forefinger and thumb. You can use them to flip the pages forward and backward. To think, all this time, those devices have just been just sitting there, dangling at the end of your arm.

Fans of digital books may point out that e-readers have a handy “search” tool. Old-fashioned books also have a search function, in which you turn back to the opening chapter to remind yourself of the hero’s surname. They even have a “bookmark system,” which uses a device called a “bookmark.”

Can a traditional book offer all the features of an e-book? Alas, no. It lacks a “progress bar” indicating what percentage of the book has been read. Luckily, a “hack” is available: Turn your book so that it can be viewed from the side or top. It will naturally form two halves joined in the middle (“the spine”). If the left-hand chunk is thicker than the right-hand one, you are more than halfway through.

Fans of the e-book point out that digital text is easy to annotate. Some devices even feature a little image of a pencil to guide the reader through the process. Traditional-book users have a similar system called a “pencil.” With it, favoured passages can be underlined and, if it’s a history book, pretentious comments can be written in the margin, such as “Not so, according to The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.”

Thus annotated, such books can be left around for others to peruse, convincing family members, or prospective lovers, of your intellectual perspicacity.

Admittedly, e-books are lighter than paper volumes, but one must question whether this is really an advantage. In secondary school my physique was transformed by the daily need to carry science textbooks. For me and my fellow students, placing these weighty tomes in our backpacks would draw our shoulders back and our chests forward in a way that turned the school into the equivalent of a military parade ground.

The printed book, of course, has other advantages. A full bookshelf is at once a sound baffle and a store of knowledge. And any properly thumbed book will always fall open at the sexiest scene.

Tidying guru Marie Kondo has said that she keeps about 30 books at any one time. Those who follow Kondo’s example may have a less cluttered home, but a large, well-stocked bookshelf is more meaningful. It’s a map of your life as a reader: the passions that passed and those that endured. There are books that introduced you to other books, like friends at a party, and books that nursed you through difficult times.

Also, the smell of old books in a second-hand bookshop is instantly evocative. Yes, it’s a mix of mould and old paper, but to me it represents possibility. Spend an hour browsing, and you’ll be sure to stumble across an out-of-print book you thought you’d never find.

Educational fads come and go, so maybe the shift back to traditional books won’t last. But for the moment, I find myself standing at attention, flexing my textbook-built shoulders and saluting their glorious return.

Next, find out why you should be reading out loud every day. 

There’s no better way to start your casino journey than with an awesome welcome bonus – and Canada is bristling with them right now!

But to truly find the best casino bonuses available in Canada, you’ll need to look a lot deeper than that shiny banner. That’s where we come in.

We at Leanback Player have read the terms and conditions and used more bonuses than one can count in order to bring you the very few offers that give you a genuine chance of getting a bonus payout.

Jackpot City’s C$1,600 welcome package is the real deal here, but there’s a lot of value to be found with the rest of them. Let’s dive in!

Best Casino Bonuses Available in Canada

• Jackpot City: 100% up to C$1,600
• Spin Casino: Up to $1,000 welcome bonus
• PlayOJO: 50 free spins with no wagering requirements
• Lucky7even: $3,000 bonus + 200 free spins
• BetOnline: Up to $3,000 for new players

But what exactly makes these online casino bonuses so great anyway? Well, there are a few factors that go into that, so let’s take a closer look at the bonuses and the online casinos offering them.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. We would like to emphasize that gambling is risky and should not be used to resolve financial difficulties. The saying “the house always wins” is worth keeping in mind.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, we firmly advise you to call the Gamblers Anonymous at 1-626-960-3500 to speak with an expert about getting assistance and making gambling safer for you or your friends and loved ones. Remember that all gaming websites and instructions are intended for people aged 18 and above. Not valid in Ontario.

Some of the casino sites featured on our site may not be available in your location. Check your local regulations to see if internet gambling is permitted in your area.

Check out the following organizations for free gambling addiction resources:

• https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/
• https://www.cprg.ca/
• https://www.responsiblegambling.org/

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The best online casino bonus selection is at Jackpot City. There’s a stunning welcome bonus and all kinds of ongoing offers for existing players.

Welcome Bonus: 5/5

Right off the bat, the Jackpot City casino sign-up bonus is awesome. Everyone who signs up for a new account here will be able to grab up to $1600 in match deposit bonuses. That’s a lot of bonus cash!

The funds are spread across your first four deposits instead of all being lumped into one. This means it’s going to be more affordable, as you can spread out your payments. It’ll also make it easier to meet the wagering requirements.

The rest of the bonus terms are pretty fair, too, as there are no strict time frames to play through your winnings, just 7 days to claim the offer from when you create an account.

The only thing that’s worth noting is that NetEnt slots only account for 50% of the wagering, whereas all other non-jackpot slots account for 100%.

On top of the matched deposits, you’ll get 10 free chances to win up to $1,000,000 in the lottery. That’s quite the amount of money at stake just for placing a deposit at an online casino!

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Jackpot City is home to a little over 500 games in total. It’s not the biggest game portfolio in the world, but the majority of those games are of super high quality, so you’d have to be incredibly picky to get bored here in a rush!

The list of software providers bringing the games is a sign of the quality of them. Those 500+ come from the likes of NetEnt and Microgaming, arguably the two biggest and best software providers in the whole world of online casino gaming.

Banking: 4.9/5

Jackpot City customers will be able to deposit with a handful of payment methods, such as Interac, InstaDebit, eCheck, Apple Pay, and the good, old-fashioned credit card.

All of these payment methods can be used to trigger the welcome bonus, which is good news!

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With up to $1000 available for all new players and an amazing loyalty program to keep existing players entertained, it’s no wonder that Spin Casino is turning a few heads in the Canadian online casino scene right now.

Welcome Bonus: 4.8/5

Spin Casino is home to one of the finest casino welcome bonuses in Canada. You can claim up to $1000 in bonus money in the form of matched deposits when you sign up.

The first of these is 100% up to $400, and this is followed by two lots of 100% up to $300. We like the fact that the bonus cash is split over three deposits, as it makes using the casino bonus more manageable, and you can get more out of it.

Once again, you’ll need to claim the casino bonus within 7 days of signing up, but the rest of the terms and conditions are quite relaxed – and the wagering requirements only apply to the casino bonus funds, not the deposit.

Be sure to take a look at how each type of game contributes to the wagering requirements, though, as not all of them will be 100%.

Existing Customer Promotions: 4.8/5

Spin Casino is home to an impressive six-tier loyalty program, which is one of the most exciting things about it as a whole. The higher the level you’re on, the more perks and promotions you’ll get, such as higher withdrawal limits and extra deposit bonuses.

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Online Casino Games: 4.8/5

The most impressive area of the Spin Casino game portfolio is the progressive jackpot slots. In particular, there are 10 games in the Must Win Jackpots category, including Alchemy Fortunes and Arena of Gold, where players can win a number of different prizes.

The offers at this casino include tons of impressive live dealer titles and table games – in fact, Spin Casino is also one of the best blackjack sites for Canadian players.

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There’s a 24-hour pending period for all withdrawals at Spin Casino, which isn’t too bad. And you can speed things up from this point by opting for one of the fast withdrawal options, such as Insta Debit.

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We love the PlayOJO casino sign-up offer. Deposit just $10 (or more) when you first sign up, and you’ll get 50 free spins for the amazing Thor and the Trials of Asgard slot.

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You don’t see many casino bonuses available in Canada without wagering requirements, let alone 50 free spins! This is a truly special offer.

Some players might prefer a matched deposit, and we can understand that, but for us, this is a really unique and interesting offer that’s fully deserving of our number three spot for the best casino bonuses available in Canada.

Existing Customer Promotions: 4.8/5

All players will be able to enjoy random daily promotions via PlayOJO’s Kickers program. Be sure to keep an eye on the promotions page for the chance to grab free spins and deposit bonuses.

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Online Casino Games: 4.9/5

The amount of games on the PlayOJO site is mighty impressive. There are over 2000 of them, a figure that dwarfs most of the competition.

Surprisingly, it’s all killer, no filler here too. You’ll find all the finest online slots, plus an abundance of live dealer games from the likes of Evolution Gaming. There’s no two ways about it: PlayOJO has the best live casino games in the business.

Banking: 4.8/5

Most payment requests at PlayOJO are processed within 24 hours. We love to see it! The quickest way to get paid out will be through one of the eWallets PlayOJO supports, such as Interac and MuchBetter.

But it’s also possible to bank with AstroPay, Payz and a few other options. The banking method selection is quite a bit different from our top two so far, but there’s still a lot of choice, so most players will feel accommodated here.

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Getting a matched deposit bonus is one thing, and getting free spins is another, but being able to get both as part of the same offer? That’s pretty neat.

Welcome Bonus: 4.9/5

You can get up to a $3,000 welcome bonus and 200 free spins as a new Lucky7even casino player. There aren’t a lot of online casinos that offer both a deposit bonus and free spins as their welcome bonus, but you do get the best of both worlds at this online casino available in Canda.

The 200 free spins are for Pragmatic Play’s impressive Book of the Fallen slot. It has a massively high RTP of 96.5%, so keep your fingers crossed that you can land some winning spins.

The welcome offer and free spins are divided between the first four of your deposits, so you’ll get 50 FS with each. The bonus is subject to standard 40x wagering requirements, and you have 14 days after the free spins are credited to your account to use them up.

Existing Customer Promotions: 4.6/5

Online casino bonus offers don’t stop for existing players at Lucky7even.

You can grab several reload bonuses throughout the week – Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays give you a chance to get extra spins or up to 50% cash matches.

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A recent addition is the “Mystery Drops” feature, which adds progressive jackpots to selected games. With no additional fees and real money rewards without wagering requirements, every qualifying bet on ‘Mystery Drops’ games could trigger an instant jackpot win.

Online Casino Games: 4.8/5

There are hundreds of casino games to choose from at Lucky7even, so take your pick!

You will find slot games from top developers with various themes and features. The one thing they all have in common is higher-than-average RTP rates.

We were particularly impressed with the variety of live dealer games at this online casino available in Canada, which includes all the classics like roulette, blackjack, poker, and baccarat, along with 30 unique game shows.

Banking: 4.7/5

The quickest way to get paid out at Lucky7even is through the wide range of cryptocurrencies they support. Bank with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, among others, and the money will be in your wallet within minutes from the time it was processed.

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5. BetOnline – Best Bonus Casino Welcome Package (Up to C$3,000)

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Our favourite welcome bonus available in Canada in terms of overall value can be found at BetOnline. It’s worth up to $3,000!

Welcome Bonus: 4.7/5

BetOnline is home to an almighty casino deposit bonus worth up to $3,000 that you can claim across your first three deposits (3x 100% up to $1,000). Just use the bonus code BETCASINO on each of those three deposits to trigger the bonuses.

You might think that a matched deposit this high would be subject to high wagering requirements, but that’s just not the case, as you’ll only need to play through this 30 times.

The only issue is that this casino bonus offer can only be used on Betsoft-branded slots, but even that’s not a real dealbreaker because most of Betsoft’s games come with high RTPs and impressive gameplay.

You can reduce the wagering requirements even further if you make your first deposit with crypto and bet in the sportsbook. The crypto welcome bonus is 100% up to $1,000 with a rollover of just 14x.

It should be noted that there’s no specific crypto casino welcome bonus here, though.

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On top of $50 worth of bonuses each Tuesday, 20% monthly reload bonuses, and a 10% weekly casino rebate – you’ll also get the chance to win cash prizes through the tournaments.

There is a $1,000,000 monthly tournament prize pool, and you just need to play eligible games to participate.

There are a couple of cool sportsbook reload bonuses as well. If you want to pay with fiat currency, you can get a 25% sports reload bonus with the code LIFEBONUS or you can bump that up to 30% by banking with crypto and using the code CRYPTO30.

Online Casino Games: 4.7/5

The total number of games at the BetOnline casino stands at over 600, so not quite as many as some of the competition, but still more than enough to keep most players entertained.

That’s especially true, considering that most of the games come from the likes of Nucleus and Betsoft. You’re going to find some unique and exciting titles at BetOnline.

BetOnline is another highly experienced online sportsbook as well. It’s been offering odds for over 25 years, so if you want to have a punt on an ice hockey game in between your casino games, then this would be a good place to do that.

Banking: 4.8/5

There are loads of payment methods to choose from at BetOnline. The total of cryptocurrencies, eWallets and the rest comes to 22, which is one of the highest numbers of payment methods in Canada.

The number includes Shiba Inu, MoneyOrder, Person to Person, Visa, Solana and many more.

You’ll still have to wait around 24 hours for withdrawals to be processed with these but again, that’s not bad at all.

>> Use the code BETCASINO to get 100% up to $3000 [BetOnline]

Ranking the Best Online Casino Bonuses Available in Canada – Our Criteria

Welcome Bonus

The most lucrative offer at most online casinos available in Canada will be the welcome bonus. We’ve been analyzing these welcome bonuses by finding out how much is on offer and how fair the terms and conditions (ie. wagering requirements) are.

Reload Promotions

Bonuses at casinos aren’t just for new players. It’s always good to see a range of reload bonuses and perhaps a loyalty program so that all customers have bonuses to use, not just the new ones.

Online Casino Games

As well as ranking the bonuses themselves, we checked out the games that you can play with them. We’re looking for a diverse range of slots, live dealer games, and table games from good providers. This generally shows us that the games will be top quality.

Banking

It’s useful to be able to trigger bonuses with a wide range of payment methods. That’ll make life easier for a lot of players! Furthermore, we want to see withdrawal requests processed quickly so that we don’t have to wait too long to see our money.

Why Does Jackpot City Have the Best Online Casino Bonuses for Canadian Players?

The best online casino bonuses in Canada can be found at Jackpot City, but that’s not the only thing we love about this site. Here’s a look at the best bits.

• Up to $1,600 for new players: Sign up at Jackpot City, and you can get 100% up to $400 on your first four deposits for a total of $1,600. These deposit bonuses come with pretty reasonable terms and conditions as well.
• Daily promotions: The bonuses keep on flowing at Jackpot City. Every customer will get a random daily promotion which could be free spins, deposit bonuses or something else.
• Plenty of payment methods: You can trigger the deposit bonus offers with a wide range of banking options, such as Interac, Apple Pay and Visa. It’s great to have that level of flexibility.
• High-quality casino games: Bonuses are no good if there aren’t a whole bunch of awesome games to use them on. And Jackpot City excels in that department, with over 500 titles from some of the best providers in the world, like Microgaming and NetEnt.

Best Casino Bonus Offers Available in Canada: FAQ

What’s the Best Online Casino Bonus Available in Canada?

• Jackpot City: 100% up to C$1,600
• Spin Casino: 100% up to $1,000
• PlayOJO: 50 free spins
• Lucky7even: C$1,500 + 200 free spins
• BetOnline: 100% up to $3,000

The best casino bonus available in Canada right now is available at Jackpot City. There, you can grab up to $1,600 in deposit bonuses across your first four deposits as a new player.

Are Casino Bonus Offers Worth It?

Yes, all of the online casino bonuses we’ve looked at today are worth claiming, as they give you a genuine chance at converting your bonus winnings to real money.

If you want to make sure that deposit bonuses at other online casinos are safe and worth it, you should always check the licensing of the casino and the terms of the offers.

How Do I Claim a Deposit Casino Bonus in Canada?

To claim a deposit bonus at online casinos available in Canada, you typically just need to create an account, opt-in for the welcome bonus, and place a qualifying deposit. In other cases, you might need to use a bonus code, but this is less common nowadays.

Top Casino Bonuses for Canadian Players – Quick Comparison

• Jackpot City: The best welcome bonus among Canadian casinos is the new customer offer at Jackpot City. New players can claim a 100% bonus up to C$1,600 spread across four deposits.
• Spin Casino: There’s an impressive $1,000 in deposit bonuses to be claimed when you first get your account here. Make sure to stick around for the impressive loyalty program when you’ve played through this offer.
• PlayOJO: The 50 free spins you get when you deposit $10 or more at PlayOJO come with zero wagering requirements whatsoever. That means you can withdraw any winnings you make from them immediately!
• Lucky7even: You can grab up to a $1,500 welcome offer and 200 free spins as a new customer here. The casino also offers many exciting ongoing promotions for existing users.
• BetOnline: If you’re willing to spend the big bucks, use the casino bonus code BETCASINO to claim a 100% bonus up to C$1000 on each of your first three deposits at BetOnline for a total of C$3,000.

How to Claim the Best Online Casino Promotions Available in Canada

Check out the guide below to find out how to sign up for the top online gambling sites available in Canada so that you can get started with the finest casino bonuses.

1. Choose a Casino & Sign Up

• Choose a casino from our list – our top pick for bonuses is Jackpot City
• Press the “Sign Up” button in the top right
• Select your state or region and click ‘Next’
• Fill out a few details, like your date of birth and gender
• Create a username and a password to log in with
• Tick to agree to the terms and that you’re 18+

2. Confirm Your Email Address

• Head to your email inbox
• Open the email from the online casino
• Click the link within to confirm your email address

3. Trigger the Casino Online Bonus

• Choose a payment method
• Enter at least the minimum deposit (and less than the maximum)
• Complete the transaction following the instructions on screen

4. Use Your Online Casino Promo Funds

• Go to the games section
• Choose a casino game you want to play
• Make sure to play through the wagering requirements!

Tips for Using Casino Bonuses Available in Canada

Play High RTP Games

We recommend using your casino bonus offers on games with high RTP rates. The higher the RTP, the more money you’re going to win on average. This, combined with a good bonus, is the ultimate way to try to win cash at an online casino.

Try Games in Free Play Mode

Before you go spending your bonus money on casino games you’re not sure if you even like, why not try the games out in demo mode? Some online casinos will let you do this, and if not, you can usually find demo games with a quick online search.

Only Use One Welcome Online Casino Promotion at a Time

Deposit bonuses always come with terms and conditions, often wagering requirements, so you might have to put in some work to make your winnings withdrawable.

There may also be a time limit to meet these. Using one bonus at a time will help you to stay within the time frame and, therefore, not void the bonus.

Be Wary of Free Casino Bonuses

Free casino bonuses, or no deposit bonuses as they’re often known, can be amazing. But they’re often lower in value and come with stricter terms and conditions than deposit bonus offers, as online casinos need to try to limit their losses.

Keep an Eye on the Latest Casino Online Promotions

Online casinos are always updating their bonuses, so it’s always worth staying tuned to find out what the latest and greatest offers are. You can often sign up for online casino mailing lists or just keep an eye on the promotions page of your favourite online casino site.

Always Read the Terms and Conditions

We’ve painstakingly sifted through all the terms and conditions for bonuses from our top picks today to make sure they’re fair. But if you want to opt for a bonus elsewhere, or if one of our top five real money online casinos available in Canada offers a new casino bonus, always check the terms.

So, What Are the Best Casino Bonuses Online Available in Canada?

The best casino bonus in Canada right now has to be the amazing welcome package at Jackpot City.

With up to $1600 on offer across your first four deposits and super reasonable terms and conditions, it’s pretty irresistible as far as we’re concerned.

But why stop there? We’ve picked five top-tier deposit bonus casinos for you to check out, and there’s no harm in claiming the welcome deposit bonus for each of them.

Just make sure that you practise responsible online gambling at all times!

Why? It’s a triple threat: Crispy fries. Curds with a squeaky-on-the-teeth quality. Gravy thin enough to seep down through the pile but thick enough to easily be sopped up by a forkful of fries and gravy-softened curds.

Read on to discover the history of poutine and why it has become the most popular Quebecois dish around the world.

The history of poutine

The word “poutine” likely comes from the Quebecois slang for a “mess.” Or it could have evolved from pouding (pudding).

Sylvain Charlebois, a food economist and the author of Poutine Nation, confirms that the earliest version of the dish appeared in 1957 in the Quebec dairy town of Warwick. A hungry customer named Eddy Lainesse asked restaurateur Fernand Lachance to put cheese curds and fries together in a brown paper bag because he was in a hurry. Lachance obliged and, as the tale goes, said, “Ça va faire une maudite poutine!”—“That’ll make a damn mess!”

The combination became a hit in casse-croûte (snack shacks) across the province. But then poutine boarded the gravy train in 1964 in the town of Drummondville. The young owner of Le Roy Jucep diner, Jean-Paul Roy—who just so happened to be a trained saucier—was the first to dare to douse the fries and curds with gravy.

Poutine is a symbol of pride in Quebec, but of course the rest of Canada has fully embraced the delicious mess. Most of the big fast-food chains—KFC, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Harvey’s, A&W—have it on their menus. And Smoke’s Poutinerie, with dozens of locations, has more than 20 choices, including a “Philly cheesesteak” version with slices of flatiron steak, cheese sauce and red peppers.

Poutine around the world

Now, poutine is popping up on menus outside our borders. Google the city you’re in and you’re bound to find poutine spots. That includes in London, Paris, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Moscow (where it has been nicknamed “raspoutine”) and even posh Monaco.

Charlebois says he wrote Poutine Nation because “I had to find out why this unhealthy but delicious dish has become the most popular Canadian dish around the world.” As part of his research, Charlebois sampled poutine in dozens of cities—from a surprisingly good version in Brisbane, Australia, to a lacklustre plate in Cleveland, Ohio. “They served me a poutine with powdered mozzarella,” he says. “But I was polite about it.”

Charlebois compares the story of poutine to pizza’s glorious rise to fame: an unfussy combo of carbs, cheese and sauce, something unsophisticated but so tasty it became a global sensation.

Whether it’s ever going to be as universally popular as pizza is anyone’s guess. But, as Charlebois boldly declares, “It took 100 years for pizza to get there. And poutine will be around for a very long time.”

If you haven’t yet, give poutine a chance. You may just find that the unpretentious dish is so much more than the sum of its parts.

Now that you know the history of poutine, find out how the hamburger became the world’s favourite sandwich.

It was 1:20 in the morning on July 15, 2021. I had just gone to bed, a bit drunk after celebrating my 31st birthday. I’d had some friends over to my basement apartment, in my sister’s house.

We live in Sinzig, just south of Bonn, Germany. The town is about half a kilometre from the banks of the Ahr River, and it had been raining buckets that week; there were flood warnings and evacuation orders for some of the nearby areas, but not where I was.

As a precaution, I’d placed sandbags outside my garden door and piled electronics and clothing on tables and the couch just in case water managed to seep through. Before my friends left, they laughed at me for doing that, but I thought, Why take a chance?

As I drifted off to sleep, I was awakened by the sound of rushing water, like I was beside a waterfall instead of in my bedroom. When I swung my legs off the bed, I was shocked to feel cold water already up to my knees and rising fast.

It must be a burst pipe in the bathroom, I thought. Shivering and in darkness, I grabbed my phone and turned on its flashlight. When I stepped into the hall, I saw it wasn’t a burst pipe. Water was coming—like a geyser, or a pressure washer—from the garden door. It must have breached the sandbags. Chairs, bookshelves and pieces of my drum set were floating all over my living room.

I could feel the adrenalin surging through my body as panic began to set in. The Ahr, usually such a quiet, slow-moving river in my region, had violently burst its banks. And now I had to get out—fast!

Any effects of the alcohol were gone; fear sobers one up. I heard the garden door starting to rip apart, the pieces of wood cracking like matchsticks under the pressure of the flood. The sound was like nothing else, screeching, hissing and crashing all at once. Relentless.

With the water now up to my waist, in bare feet and with my boxer shorts plastered to my body, I started to wade to my only escape: the door that leads upstairs to the rest of the house. All around me things were breaking—the lamps were shattering; the fridge and cupboards were being torn apart.

Finally I made it to the door that leads upstairs and tried to pull it open, but the pressure of the water was immense. Every time I opened the door a bit, it slammed shut again.

I looked around for anything I could use to wedge the door open. In the corner there was a broom, a coat rack, and a huge, heavy sword from a medieval fair. I grabbed them all and, once again, pried open the door, throwing the broom and coat rack between the door and the frame to keep it from shutting and using the sword to wedge it open some more. I managed to make a gap of about 30 centimetres, enough for me to squeeze through and make it into the hallway.

In the pitch black, I leapt onto the stairs leading up to the rest of the house and ran to the third floor. I knocked on my sister’s door like crazy, trying to find out if she was okay, until I remembered that she wasn’t staying there that night.

That’s when I went downstairs to the main floor office—and went outside. I stood there in the darkness, soaked and panting, staring at what was now a waterscape with debris, branches and trees floating in it. The river had flooded the neighbourhood—and as my adrenalin receded, I realized that if I had woken up just a few minutes later, I would have drowned.

We’ve been assured that something like this happens only once every 100 years. I hope so. More than 180 people died and parts of villages in the region were entirely washed away.

The aftermath

These days, I’m living at my parents’ place in the middle of town. I study psychology and work with children in schools, teaching them martial arts. I can never go back to live in that apartment because I just keep thinking, What if it does happen again? There are too many traumatic memories.

We didn’t have flood insurance because the house wasn’t considered to be in a high-risk area, so we’re fixing it up on our own. Many of the houses around us were destroyed, including a home for people with disabilities. It was so awful. Not everyone got out.

My old apartment will now house my martial arts school, once it’s repaired and dried out.

In the end, the experience made me grateful and determined to live each day to its fullest. I came very close to drowning that day. But rather than dwell on what could have happened, I prefer to recall what my mother told me afterwards: “Christian, don’t remember the day when you lost everything. Remember the day you survived.”

Next, read this gripping tale of a man who found himself caught between a lion’s jaws.

Whether you’re looking for the thrill of live dealer card games or just something to play during your lunch break, the best online blackjack sites available in Canada are always a hit.

And speaking of hits, Jackpot City is a fantastic choice for serious players and newbies alike, thanks to a great collection of blackjack games, a welcome package of up to C$1,600, and several trustworthy online payment options.

If you want to see how Jackpot City stands up to the competition, read on.

Best Online Blackjack Sites Available in Canada

• Jackpot City: Best overall
• PlayOJO: Top choice for live dealers
• Spin Casino: Amazing mobile app
• BetOnline: Best for crypto players
• Bodog: Best high-stakes tables

Read on as we at Leanback Player compare these blackjack sites available in Canada head-to-head based on their selection of blackjack games, bonuses, and payout speed.

Heads up about our links! Adblock might get confused so please disable it if you have any issues.

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. We would like to emphasize that gambling is risky and should not be used to resolve financial difficulties. The saying “the house always wins” is worth keeping in mind.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, we firmly advise you to call the Gamblers Anonymous at 1-626-960-3500 to speak with an expert about getting assistance and making gambling safer for you or your friends and loved ones. Remember that all gaming websites and instructions are intended for people aged 18 and above. Not valid in Ontario.

Some of the casino sites featured on our site may not be available in your location. Check your local regulations to see if internet gambling is permitted in your area.

Check out the following organizations for free gambling addiction resources:

• https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/
• https://www.cprg.ca/
• https://www.responsiblegambling.org/

1. Jackpot City – Best Online Blackjack Site in Canada Overall

Pros:

• CA$1,600 welcome package
• Great mix of live dealer and online blackjack
• 24/7 customer service
• Fast and secure payouts
• Over 30 years of experience

Cons:

• Unable to view all games without an account
• Could add more promotions

Jackpot City has three decades of excellence under its belt. Although it’s primarily aimed at slot players (particularly progressive jackpot fans), it delivers one of the best blackjack experiences we’ve found anywhere.

Real Money Blackjack Games: 4.9/5

You’ll find a fantastic collection of over 15 real-money blackjack games at Jackpot City. Under the live dealer section, you have Platinum VIP, Private Blackjack, and various Classic Blackjack tables. Some games have special side bet options to keep things interesting.

For standard casino games (particularly useful for mobile players), we found a nice mix of classic games, Vegas Strip, and Atlantic City-style blackjack games. The Vegas Strip and Atlantic City variations come with specialized rules that you won’t find in more traditional versions.

For example, in Atlantic City, blackjack players can surrender hands, which lets you reclaim a portion of your initial wager if you feel the dealer has the upper hand.

Bonuses and Promotions: 4.7/5

Jackpot City’s welcome package is broken up over your first four deposits, with each one getting a 100% match good for up to CA$400, for a total of CA$1,600.

This bonus can only be claimed within seven days of creating your account, so make sure you’re not lollygagging.

Banking Options: 4.7/5

While we would like to see more payment options available to Canadian players, the variety and security of what Jackpot City offers manages to not leave us disappointed.

Players can deposit using Visa, Mastercard, Neteller, iDebit, Trustly, and Skrill. Minimum deposits are a low CA$10 and payouts are fast, with most options processing within 24-48 hrs.

>> Claim up to CA$1,600 welcome bonus [Jackpot City]

2. PlayOJO – Best Live Dealer Blackjack Games Available in Canada

Pros:

• 50% match up to CA$100 for live dealer blackjack
• No wagering requirements
• Cashback on every game with OJOplus
• Over 50 live dealer blackjack tables
• Low $10 minimum deposit

Cons:

• Navigation makes it hard to find some games
• Smaller bonuses than most competitors

PlayOJO originally put down its roots in the UK but finally crossed the pond to open up to Canadian players last year — and we couldn’t be happier.

From the friendly support team to the player-first promotions, PlayOJO proves itself to be a customer-centric casino.

Real Money Blackjack Games: 4.8/5

PlayOJO offers players an impressive collection of live dealer and classic blackjack table games — though we found the casino’s navigation a bit frustrating.

But once we got the hang of it, we couldn’t help but be blown away, particularly by the live dealer offerings.

There are tables from top live studio providers like Pragmatic Play and Playtech, delivering everything from Speed Blackjack to VIP and Quantum Blackjack. You can also enjoy the ludicrously named Mega Fire Blaze Blackjack Live – which is not nearly as dangerous to play as its name suggests.

The online blackjack games primarily consist of classic American and European 21 rulesets, which suit us just fine.

Bonuses and Promotions: 4.8/5

Bonuses (or Kickers as they’re known at PlayOJO) are one of the most player-friendly things we’ve found at the site. No matter which Kicker you claim, there are no wagering requirements attached. That means everything you win is yours to keep.

Including the generous 50% match up to CA$100 when you use the 100CASH promo code when making your first deposit. This bonus is only good for the live dealer tables and has no rollover requirements attached.

We’re also big fans of the OJOplus program, which allows players to earn points with every game they play and eventually convert those OJOplus points to cold hard cash.

Again, with no wagering requirements.

Banking Options: 4.7/5

You can load up your accounts with several of Canada’s most trusted online payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, Interac, Paysafecard, Payz, MuchBetter, AstroPay, and Jeton.

Every option has a $10 minimum deposit, reasonable fees (if any) and payouts are all very reasonable — especially when you take into account the fact that PlayOJO has no minimum withdrawal limitations.

>> Get a 50% match up to CA$100 for live dealer blackjack [PlayOJO]

3. Spin Casino – Best Mobile Blackjack Casino for Canadian Players

Pros:

• CA$1,000 welcome package
• Downloadable casino app
• 15+ blackjack games
• Several trusted payment options
• Games with up to 99.57% RTP

Cons:

• Unable to see games without account
• Limited payout options

As a sister casino to Jackpot City, you can expect Spin Casino to offer a lot of the same great features you can find at our #1 site.

Top-notch support in multiple languages? Check. Generous casino welcome bonuses and trustworthy banking options? Also, check.

But where Spin Casino stood apart for us was its impressive mobile app execution, making it easy for players to enjoy a wide range of blackjack tables from anywhere.

Real Money Blackjack Games: 4.8/5

Spin Casino’s mobile-ready blackjack games consist of a nice blend of classic American and European blackjack and Vegas Single Deck.

You’ll also find a mess of varieties with side bets, as well as a game called Premier Blackjack with Lucky Lucky that seems to live up to its name, as it boasts an incredible 99.57% return to player rate.

The live dealer games are fairly similar to what we found at Jackpot City, including a game called Eclipse Blackjack that gets pretty creative with its side bets and is well worth checking out if you’re the sort of player who likes to mix it up.

Bonuses and Promotions: 4.6/5

New players will receive up to CA$1,000 over their first three deposits. Your first deposit is a 100% match up to CA$400 followed by a 100% match worth up to CA$300 on each of your next two deposits.

Once you’ve finished that, you’ll want to keep your eyes on your email inbox, as Spin Casino regularly sends out new bonuses to its player base, so you won’t have any problem finding more great chances to play and win.

Banking Options: 4.7/5

Spin Casino accepts payments via Interac, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Paysafecard, Google Pay, Insta Debit, Neosurf, and eCheck. Payouts are only available on Echeck, InstaDebit, Interac, and Visa, however.

Withdrawals are fairly fast and painless, with options claiming to take 1-3 days, but we generally had our payments resolved within 24 hours.

>> Get your CA$1,000 in bonus cash [Spin Casino]

4. BetOnline – Fastest Payouts of All Blackjack Casinos Available in Canada

Pros:

• 100% match up to CA$1,000
• Over 20 blackjack casino games
• Daily tournaments
• Tons of crypto banking options

Cons:

• Welcome bonus only works on Betsoft games
• Doesn’t accept e-wallet payments

BetOnline is one of those online gambling sites available in Canada that does a little bit of everything – online poker, sports betting, slots, blackjack, and more.

And the fact that they accept such a wide range of cryptocurrencies doesn’t hurt either.

Real Money Blackjack Games: 4.7/5

We were truly impressed with the blackjack variety we found at BetOnline. You can enjoy American and European blackjack, single hand, multi hand, rolling stack – there are just so many to choose from, and all of them play great.

There are even daily blackjack tournaments (which you can join for free if you’ve recently made a qualifying deposit) where you can win a slice of up to $20,000 in daily prizes.

The live dealer tables are incredible as well. These are powered by top-notch studios like Fresh Deck and Visionary iGaming, so you’re guaranteed a fantastic blackjack experience regardless of whether you sit at the standard blackjack tables or the unlimited-player Early Payout tables.

Bonuses and Promotions: 4.6/5

While BetOnline offers several different welcome bonuses suited to the different aspects of its gambling site, we will focus on the casino welcome bonus.

New players who use the BETCASINO promo code will get a 100% match bonus for up to CA$ 1,000. Players will have 30 days to complete these wagering requirements. It’s important to note that only Betsoft branded games will count towards the rollover — which includes several of BetOnline’s excellent blackjack titles. So, you don’t have to worry about that.

Beyond that, you’ll find weekly rebate promotions, a live dealer blackjack Super 7’s Jackpot (which gives you a shot at winning some serious cash at the tables), and a weekly challenge for the live dealer casino.

Banking Options: 4.7/5

BetOnline accepts Bitcoin, Avalanche, and over a dozen more cryptocurrencies. You can also use various credit and debit cards, money orders, and bank transfers.

For the fastest possible payouts, we recommend using one of the supported cryptocurrencies — especially Bitcoin — as those generally resolve in as few as 10 minutes. You won’t have to pay any transaction fees either.

>> Use BETCASINO to get a 100% match up to CA$1,000 [BetOnline]

5. Bodog – Best Blackjack Site for High Roller Canadian Players

Pros:

• 100% match up to CA$600 casino bonus
• Nice blend of casino and live blackjack
• High-limit tables for serious players
• Unlimited bet behind

Cons:

• Low weekly payout limits on some methods
• No e-wallet payment methods

Last but not least we have Bodog Casino. Another great casino that does a little bit of everything. What nailed Bodog’s spot on this list, however, is its live dealer tables — specifically the high-limit version. Serious blackjack fans who want to put their skills and bankrolls to the test should be fairly comfortable with what this casino has to offer.

Real Money Blackjack Games: 4.6/5

Under Bodog’s casino game selection, you’ll find single and multi-deck blackjack, perfect pairs, and more. A popular game you can check out is Zappit Blackjack, a fun version where you can ‘zap’ your hand and get new cards if dealt a hard 15-18.

There are also over 30 live dealer tables available with table limits suitable for a wide range of bankrolls, regardless of whether you’re a casual player or looking for something a little more high-stakes.

The most popular tables are the low-limit CA$ 10- CA$ 1,000, which goes up until the more serious CA$ 250 – $ 50,000 tables.

All tables also have unlimited bets, so if your ability to judge players is better than your ability to play, you’ll still find plenty of action.

Bonuses and Promotions: 4.7/5

Bodog offers new players a 100% match casino bonus good for up to CA$ 600 in bonus funds plus 50 free spins on one of the best online slots for Canadian players – the Gods of Luxor slot. The bonus cash is subject to an incredibly low 25x rollover requirement.

Beyond that, you’ll find the casino staples, including a 200% refer-a-friend bonus and a crypto welcome bonus with an impressive 150% match rate.

Banking Options: 4.6/5

You can load up your account using Visa, Mastercard, Interac, and a few cryptos like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Bitcoin Cash. Most deposit methods are free from any additional fees. Withdrawals are fast and easy, though non-crypto methods will be limited to a weekly withdrawal of CA$ 3,000 per week.

This just means if you win big, you’ll have to break that payout up over a longer period of time.

>> Get a 100% bonus up to CA$600 + 50 free spins [Bodog]

Ranking the Best Online Blackjack Sites that are Available in Canada

What goes into picking the best online blackjack casinos? We’re glad you asked. While our team at Leanback Player goes through each casino with a fine-toothed comb, we’re going to make things easy and focus on the bits that really matter to players.

Real Money Blackjack Games

We look at every casino’s blackjack variations to ensure you get a perfect blend of quality and variety. This ensures that you’ll only have the best blackjack games, regardless of whether you prefer live or casino-style games.

Software & Stream Quality

One of the main things that can break your online blackjack experience is a software glitch or the livestream lagging. To ensure both of these are reliable, we’ve played over 100 blackjack hands at each online casino before featuring it on this page.

Bet Limits

Whether you want to wager a loonie or thousands of dollars, the best blackjack sites available in Canada should accommodate you. To this end, we only recommend online casinos that offer VIP blackjack options for high-rollers and low-stakes tables for players on a budget.

This way, everyone can play blackjack!

Bonuses and Promotions

Who can say no to a little bit of bonus cash? Our team hand-picked the best real money casinos available in Canada with generous welcome packages, reload bonuses, and other exciting offers.

Banking Options

Finally, all the bonuses and games in the world won’t do you any good if you can’t make a deposit. Whether you’re a diehard blockchain bettor or just looking for someone who’ll accept your Visa card without charging you insane fees, we’ve got something for everyone.

Why is Jackpot City the Best Canadian Online Blackjack Site?

Looking at all its features data, it was obvious from the start that Jackpot City would take the top spot on this list. If you want a simple breakdown of why it beats the other best blackjack sites, we’ll run through our favourite points.

Welcome Bonus

Jackpot City offers a fantastic welcome package for up to CA$1,600. This is divided into four 100% match bonuses, each limited to CA$400. You don’t have to worry about coughing up all CA$1,600 in one go, which makes it a relatively easy bonus to use.

Real Money Casino Games

When it comes to blackjack, it’s hard to beat Jackpot City. Not only will you find several great blackjack casino games, but Jackpot City also delivers a stellar collection of live dealer blackjack games with some of the friendliest dealers around.

Trusted for 30 Years

Having been established in 1993, Jackpot City has had three whole decades to get it right — and they haven’t squandered it. From its trustworthy software to its industry-leading support and security, Jackpot City is a prime example of what online casinos should look like.

Should Canadian Players Switch to Playing Blackjack Online?

Sitting in uncomfortable chairs at a stuffy casino is out. Lounging at home in your favorite pajamas is in. If you’ve been dragging your feet when it comes to making the switch from brick-and-mortar casinos to online blackjack sites, consider this your wake-up call.

Here is a list of our favourite aspects of online casinos as avid blackjack fans.

• More Blackjack Options. Whether you like live dealer American blackjack tables or are looking for multi-deck or multi-hand spins on this classic casino card game, online casinos have your back. Heck, they usually have several variations at each casino.
• Convenience. No need to find a babysitter for the kids or even brush your teeth. Modern online blackjack sites let you play real money games from your home using your desktop PC or favourite mobile device.
• Bonus Cash. This is one of our favourite things about online casinos. When was the last time you walked into a physical casino and were handed a fist full of cash? Yeah, we couldn’t think of one either — but that’s basically what happens with welcome and reload bonuses at all of the best online casinos.

Blackjack Games Available at Online Casinos Available to Canadians

Classic Blackjack with Noble Diamonds

• Winning Odds: 99.41%
• Maximum Payout: 2,000x (Side Bet)
• Play Here: Jackpot City

Classic Blackjack with Noble Diamonds is an exclusive game available at Jackpot City – you won’t find it anywhere else.

As the name implies, this is classic blackjack with the same rules and bet options, but there’s one extra side bet – the Noble Diamonds. You can place this bet before the start of each round, and the maximum payout you can get is 2,000x your wager.

If your two face-up cards and the dealer’s card make up any of the following combinations, you will win:

• 3 Diamond Kings – 2000x
• Diamond J-Q-K – 500x
• Suited J-Q-K – 150x
• 3 Suited Royal Cards – 50x
• Any J-Q-K – 25x
• Any 3 Royals – 15x
• 2 Suited Royal Cards – 9x
• Any 2 Unsuited Royals – 3x

European Blackjack Turbo

• Winning Odds: 99.4%
• Maximum Payout: $3,000
• Play Here: PlayOJO

If you’re an action junkie, then Blackjack Turbo might just be the perfect game for you. It’s available to play at PlayOJO, and it has all the classic rules you can expect from big land-based casinos.

Blackjack pays 3:2, the dealer stands on 17, and insurance pays 2:1. The maximum bet is $1,500 per hand, and the design of the gameplay will let you get more hands per hour.

Live Speed Blackjack by Pragmatic

• Winning Odds: 99.4%
• Maximum Payout: 100x (Suited Trips)
• Play Here: Spin Casino

Of all the live games at Spin Casino, we enjoy playing Speed Blackjack by Pragmatic Play the most.

The minimum bet is $10 with a $2,000 maximum, making the table suitable for players of all stripes. Natural blackjack pays 3:2, and you can also place a side bet here and get an additional payout.

Available side bets are Perfect Pairs and 21+3. The design of the game, similar to the last one we reviewed, will let you rake in more hands per hour.

Note that the winning odds displayed for each game are only true when you play blackjack using the basic strategy – which shows you the perfect move in every situation.

Online Blackjack Canada – FAQs

Are Blackjack Sites Available to Canadians Safe?

Yes, blackjack sites available to Canadians are totally safe to play at, so long as you stick with trusted casinos like the ones on this list.

Safe online casinos available in Canada will only use games from legitimate software providers as well as offer fast and secure payment options and end-to-end SSL encryption.

We also recommend looking for blackjack sites that are fully licensed and regulated by a third-party organization like the Curacao Gaming Control Board of Malta Gaming Authority.

Are Online Blackjack Games Fair or Rigged?

All online blackjack games run on RNG software that’s regularly tested by gambling commissions and 3rd-party companies like eCogra and iTechLabs.

Each hand outcome is completely random, and the online casinos themselves have no control over the result since they are sourcing the game – they do not own it. So, online blackjack is as fair as the one you can play at land-based casinos, as long as you stick with licensed providers.

What Is the Best Online Blackjack Casino for Canadian Players?

Jackpot City is the best online casino for blackjack. It offers a balance of high-stakes and casual blackjack games that make it perfect for players of all skill levels.

Add to that the generous welcome bonus, trustworthy payment options, and courteous support team and you’ve got one heck of a casino on your hands.

Can I Play Live Dealer Blackjack for Real Money in Canada?

Yes, you can — and should — play live dealer blackjack for real money. All of the casinos we’ve reviewed today, especially PlayOJO, offer exciting live dealer table games staffed by friendly croupiers where you can stake and (hopefully) win real money.

How Do I Pick the Right Online Blackjack Site for Me?

The first thing you want to be sure of when searching for your next online blackjack casino is that it actually has blackjack games available. Once you’ve done that, we recommend thinking about the following:

• What payment methods does it use? Whether you’re betting with cryptocurrency, credit card, or e-wallet, it’s a good idea to ensure the casino accepts your preferred method.
• Does the casino have any blackjack bonuses? While most online casinos offer bonuses these days, not every casino will let you use that bonus on blackjack — and even when they do, there tends to be a lower contribution rate than other games. Read over any bonus terms to make sure you’ll get to use that free money to full effect.
• What are other players saying about the casino? We always recommend you search for reviews on any casino before signing up to see what other players have to say. While these reviews tend to be unrealistically negative, they can turn up red flags you might have otherwise missed.

Summary of Best Online Blackjack Real Money Sites Available in Canada

Jackpot City: With over 30 years of experience, Jackpot City offers amazing blackjack games in both live dealer and standard casino formats. New players will get up to CA$1,600 over their first four deposits.

PlayOJO: This player-first casino knocks it out of the park by offering over 50 live dealer blackjack games. Get up to CA$100 in bonus funds free from wagering requirements.

Spin Casino: If you’re always on the move and need a blackjack site that can keep up with your life, Spin Casino is the spot for you. Sign up and get up to CA$ 1,000 on your first three deposits.

BetOnline: This powerhouse offers daily blackjack tournaments, live games from two amazing providers, and plenty of single and multi-hand blackjack variations. Use BETCASINO when making your first deposit to get a 100% match up to CA$1,000.

Bodog: With over 30 live dealer tables, unlimited bet behind, and table limits to fit every budget (even very big budgets) Bodog has earned its place on this list. Grab a 100% match up to CA$600 + 50 free spins on Gods of Luxor.

How to Play Online Blackjack for Real Money in Canada

Eager to start your blackjack sessions online? Here’s how to set up an account at the top blackjack site in Canada.

Step 1: Choose a Blackjack Site

• Choose your favourite blackjack site (our top recommendation is Jackpot City)
• Click the “Register” button
• Wait for the sign-up form to appear

Step 2: Create Your Account

• Select your province from the drop-down menu and click “Next”
• Fill out the form with all your relevant information
• Agree to the terms and conditions and click Register

Step 3: Verify Your Identity

• Check your inbox for an email
• Follow the instructions to verify your account
• Once completed, you will be redirected to the casino’s login page

Step 4: Claim Your Bonus & Play Blackjack Online in Canada

• Head to the cashier and make your first deposit of CA$10 or more
• Your 100% match bonus will automatically be added to your account
• Enjoy exciting blackjack games. Congratulations!

How to Win Blackjack Online – Tips & Strategies for Canadian Players

Blackjack is one of those casino games that is easy to learn but difficult to master. If you’re just getting started, the whole game can seem rather overwhelming, and it’s not uncommon for new players to keep hitting when they darn well should just stay.

To help get you pointed in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of three things every good player needs to know.

• Know When to Double Down: In theory, you should always double down when you have a hard 11. The dealer’s upcard doesn’t matter – the odds are always in your favor when you start with 11. For all other scenarios, you can make a quick Google search and print out or just save a spreadsheet that tells you exactly when to double down.
• Know When to Split: Splitting your cards and placing an additional wager is a great blackjack strategy when used right. For example, you should always split a pair of 8’s and never split a pair of 10’s and 5’s when playing live blackjack online.
• Only Play 3:2: Many online blackjack games will give you a 6:5 payout for a natural blackjack. With so many options available, you should try and avoid them. Always play a blackjack game that pays 3:2 for natural blackjack to get the best payouts possible.
• Manage Your Bankroll: Before you sit down to play, outline how much you’re willing to spend (lose) and stick with it. One of the worst things you can do as a player is chase your losses. Too many players have fallen into the trap of “just one more.”
• Pick the Right Game: There are many blackjack varieties out there, each with its own specialized rules or side bets. Don’t worry about those. Stick with classic single-deck blackjack games until you can win at least half of the time.
• Play Free Online Blackjack to Learn Strategy: Lots of players don’t even realize that there is a whole specialized betting strategy out there.There are a lot of conditions built into blackjack’s basic strategy, but you can find printouts, spreadsheets, and more to keep handy while you play. This will help you lower the house edge to about 1%, giving you almost even odds with every hand.

Did You Find the Best Blackjack Sites Available in Canada?

Now that you know where the best action available in Canada is for the best online blackjack for real money, our job is done.

While Jackpot City is the best choice for most players, thanks to the quality and variety of blackjack games — not to mention the casino’s sterling reputation — you’d do well at any of the casinos on this list. It might be worth signing up with some of them to maximize your welcome bonuses.

Regardless of where you decide to settle down and play, just remember that you should focus on having fun, so always wager responsibly.

That artificial food dyes are unhealthy is not news. Some of the most common ones—used to colour everything from M&M’s to soup—are known to cause hyperactivity in some children, affecting their ability to learn. But regulatory agencies around the world don’t necessarily agree on which ones are a problem and why.

That may soon change, thanks to increasing consumer pressure and comprehensive 2021 peer-reviewed report prepared by the State of California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which concluded that synthetic food dyes “cause or exacerbate neurobehavioural problems in some children” and that the current levels deemed safe by the federal government are too high.

In response to the report and a subsequent petition signed by children’s advocates, consumer-advocacy groups and health and environmental experts, California is now considering requiring warning labels on food products and supplements containing the seven most commonly used synthetic dyes. Among them are Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 (known in Canada as Allura Red, tartrazine and Sunset Yellow FCF, respectively), which account for more than 90 percent of food dye certified for use in the United States. Restaurants in California would also have to identify menu items containing the additives.

What makes the OEHHA report a game changer is that a regulatory agency is on the same page as scientists and advocacy groups. That’s largely due to the quality of the report, says Lisa Lefferts, an environmental-health consultant and one of 10 original signatories to the petition. “It’s quite simply the best, most comprehensive, most rigorous assessment on the neurobehavioural effects of synthetic food dyes in children that has ever been done.”

Food dye warning labels in Canada

The warning-label requirement would put California on par with the European Union, which since 2010 has required food and beverage products containing certain synthetic food dyes to carry warning labels about their adverse effect on activity and attention in kids.

But there is currently no such move afoot in Canada. Marie-Pier Burelle, media-relations advisor at Health Canada, told Reader’s Digest, “Based on available scientific data, it is the opinion of Health Canada that synthetic food-colouring agents do not pose a health risk to the general population when used according to their permitted uses set out in the Lists of Permitted Food Additives.” Since 2016, Health Canada has required food labels to list individual food-dye colours so consumers can make informed choices, should they choose to avoid these additives.

Ultimately, synthetic dyes are used in foods for one reason: to make products look prettier. Bill Jeffery, executive director of the Ottawa-based Centre for Health and Science Law, likens the practice to “putting cosmetics on food.”

Bright colours and fun shapes make candies and cereals appealing, especially to kids. But dyes are also in some applesauce products, marshmallows, cake mixes, salad dressings and more.

As research emerges, consumer pressure has led companies to reformulate products sold on both sides of the border, most notably the iconic Kraft Dinner. In 2016, the company began using turmeric, annatto and paprika instead of tartrazine (Yellow 5) and Sunset Yellow FCF (Yellow 6). Around the same time, Chipotle eateries, Nestlé USA and some other restaurants and manufacturers announced plans to cut back on or stop using synthetic dyes.

In Europe, it was the 2010 label legislation that triggered companies to reformulate. “Companies do not want to put a warning label on their product,” says Lefferts, explaining that many food manufacturers would rather change their ingredients than use dyes that trigger a label requirement.

That’s why Starburst Fruit Chews sold in Europe are coloured with natural products, not the dyes that make their North American counterparts potentially harmful. Allura Red (Red 40), for instance, was found to exacerbate colitis in mice in a 2022 study at McMaster University in Hamilton.

More research is needed, but given that artificial food dyes are ultimately superfluous, experts agree we’re better off without them.

After all, points out Joe Schwarcz, a chemistry professor and director of the Office for Science and Society at McGill University in Montreal, we don’t dye fresh fruits and vegetables, but we do dye candy, donuts and sprinkles. “The foods in which you find dyes are nutritional paupers,” he says. “If you limit foods that contain them, you automatically improve your diet.”

Next, check out our ultimate guide to healthy grocery shopping.