Taylor Swift in Toronto: Highlights from Night 1 of the 'Eras Tour'
'Toronto, Welcome to the Eras Tour!' Taylor Swift told a roaring sold-out crowd at the Rogers Centre on Thursday night as she began the Canadian leg of her record-breaking tour.
Controversy bubbled for a Canadian drink company after its founders drew the ire of a Marvel superhero on an episode of a “Shark Tank”-style reality series.
On a recent episode of CBC’s “Dragons’ Den,” actor Simu Liu appeared as a guest star and prospective investor. The owners of a Quebec-based bubble tea brand called Bobba were featured, seeking funding to grow their brand.
Bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink with tapioca balls that has risen in popularity in recent years.
The friction between Liu and Bobba owners Sebastien Fiset and Jess Frenette was visible early in their pitch. Setting up their product, Frenette described bubble tea as a “trendy, sugary drink” and suggested that consumers are “never quite sure about its contents.”
Liu interrupted the pitch to say, “hang on, hang on. I am quite sure about its content, but continue.”
Fiset pitched Bobba as a new spin on traditional bubble tea, saying he and Frenette had “transformed this beloved beverage into a convenient and healthier ready-to-drink experience.”
He added that they are “disturbing” the bubble tea market by using “three simple ingredients,” including high quality tea, fruit juice and their Popping Bobba, which are edible pearls filled with fruit juice, according to the company’s website.
Liu, who is Chinese-Canadian, took issue with how they qualified “disturbing” the market with their product, calling it “cultural appropriation.”
“There’s an issue of taking something that’s very distinctly Asian in its identity and ‘making it better,’ which I have an issue with,” Liu said.
When Liu later asked if there is any Asian representation within their staff, Frenette and Fiset said the company’s “best partner” is based in Taiwan and creates their recipes. According to the company’s website, the flavors are “crafted” in Canada, while their pearls are “from our exclusive producer in Taiwan.”
Liu ultimately opted not to invest in the product, saying, “I want to be a part of bringing boba to the masses but not like this.”
“I started this venture company for a lot of reasons but really primarily to uplift minority entrepreneurs,” Liu said. “Not only do I feel like this is not happening here, but that I would be uplifting a business that is profiting off of something that feels so dear to my cultural heritage.”
The exchange has since spurred some backlash, resulting Liu, the Bobba founders and “Dragons’ Den” investor Manjit Minhas, who initially invested in the product on the show, to release statements addressing the discourse and calling for an end to the threats and harassment Frenette and Fiset have since received online.
Liu on Saturday posted a video to his TikTok page to say he believes Fiset and Frenette came on “Dragons’ Den” to pitch their business “in good faith.”
“There were a lot of things with the pitch that I took issue with and I disagreed with and as a result, I pulled out as a potential investor but that doesn’t mean that I believe that they deserve harassment and threats. I think a lot of grace should be afforded to them,” he said.
“Dragons’ Den” echoed Liu in a statement on Saturday.
The company Bobba apologized “for the harm we have caused by our words and actions on the show,” acknowledging in statement on Sunday that Liu “raised very valid points regarding cultural appropriation and we welcome this learning opportunity.”
Fiset and Frenette’s “choice of words was misguided” when they discussed the cultural significance and origins of bubble tea on the show, the company stated.
“We will re-evaluate our branding, packaging, and marketing strategies to ensure that they reflect a respectful and accurate representation of our Taiwanese partnership and bubble tea’s cultural roots,” the statement read.
The Bobba owners ultimately made a deal with Minhas, who offered them $1 million for an 18% stake in their company after saying she thinks there can be “new takes” on products like this that don’t always have to be traditional.
Minhas on Sunday announced that “after more reflection, due diligence and listening to many of your opinions,” she’s no longer investing in Bobba.
“Dragons’ Den” has aired for 19 season and is based off a Japanese show with the same concept, which premiered in 2001.
'Toronto, Welcome to the Eras Tour!' Taylor Swift told a roaring sold-out crowd at the Rogers Centre on Thursday night as she began the Canadian leg of her record-breaking tour.
Teamsters Canada says if Canada Post workers go on strike or are locked out, its members at Purolator won't handle any packages postmarked or identified as originating from the carrier.
President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting a man whose views public health officials have decried as dangerous in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research, Medicare and Medicaid.
A newly released report is urging Canada to immediately end all government-funded research collaborations with China in a variety of different areas.
Police in North Vancouver say they prevented the theft of nearly $13,000 worth of cheese from a grocery store earlier this year. Now, they're asking the public for help finding the alleged thief.
Hallmark Canada has recalled a Star Wars-themed Christmas ornament after mould was found on several of the products.
A Winnipeg driver was in the right place at the right time when a paratransit van caught fire Thursday morning.
The Edmonton Oilers captain reached 1,000 career points with a goal in the second period against the Nashville Predators Thursday night.
The multi-billion-dollar renovation of parliament’s Centre Block building continues to be on time and on budget, but construction crews are facing 'pressures' when it comes to the deadline and total costs, according to the department in charge of the project.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.
Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.