Asking people to suddenly start paying for something they have become accustomed to getting for free over the last decade or so doesn't sound like much of a bargain.

One of the most prominent newspaper publishers in Canada, Postmedia Network, is testing what its websites might be worth to habitual visitors.

The company, publisher of the National Post, implemented a 'metering' system on Wednesday for the Montreal Gazette and Victoria Times Colonist. The inspiration was a similar paywall introduced by The New York Times in March that allows for some complimentary access.

The emergent industry standard, evidently, is to offer browsers 20 free articles per month. Readers of the Postmedia sites will be asked to pay if they want to dive in deeper each day.

Victoria seems to have been chosen as a test market based on its older population, which is most accustomed to subscribing to a newspaper, and therefore less likely to balk at a $9.95 monthly charge.

The media environment in Montreal is

Welcome to Morning Brew, our daily roundup of early-bird news:

• Target has announced its list of the first 105 Zellers locations on deck for a U.S.-style makeover, in all 10 provinces: Ontario will get 45 of them, 19 will open in Quebec, 15 in B.C., 13 in Alberta, six in the Maritimes, five in Manitoba and two in Saskatchewan. (National Post)

• Rogers Media is expected to bring its CityNews television brand to radio, on AM stations in Ottawa, Toronto, Kitchener, Calgary and Vancouver, along with three FM stations in the Maritimes, based on some recently discovered Web domain registrations. (RadioInsight)

• A&W has opened its first 'Urban Concept' restaurant in Quebec, in downtown Montreal, which was designed to make the fast-food experience feel more fashionable, through self-order kiosks and environmentally conscious packaging like china plates and stainless steel cutlery. (CNW)

The disappearance of the Double Down from KFC locations across Canada last fall, after a one-month trial, was one of the great mysteries of modern marketing.

The controversial and popular sandwich is returning on a limited basis, but one unanswered question remains.

What prevented the chain from making the bunless sandwich a permanent fixture?

After all, the Double Down had been installed on the KFC menu in the U.S., even before a similar limited-time offer even expired last May.

And, more strangely, the Canadian headquarters sought attention for the fact the sandwich would no longer be available after it sold more than one million between Oct. 18 and Nov. 15.

"That's enough Double Downs to stretch across 2,083 hockey rinks or approximately 140 CN Towers from end to end!" exclaimed marketing officer Dan Howe.

So, there had to be a reason why Canada was starved of such a popular product for more than half a year.

Some corporate turmoil might have been to blame. Priszm Income Fund, the

It has been 15 years since the Vancouver Canucks competed in the Stanley Cup finals.

Ever since the heartbreaking Game 7 against the New York Rangers in 1994, Canucks fans have been looking for a reason to get excited again and see their team make another bid for the Cup.

After last night's win against San Jose in double overtime, fans aren't afraid to show just how excited they are.

Fans across Vancouver and British Columbia have been posting videos of the celebrations that broke out in the streets following the Canucks' win.

Here's a sampling of how some people have been reacting:

The tension of the fans was palpable as they watch the goal that tied the game outside the CBC Studios in Vancouver:

When the Canucks did take the game, fans began pouring into the street to celebrate:

As the streets began to fill up, fans made it clear what they wanted the Canucks to do next:

The usual honking and traffic jams that come with any sports celebration began to appear on Vancouver's

Citytv, founded four decades ago as a fiercely independent Toronto television station, is expected to set a new goal when its fall schedule is announced next week.

The network of channels owned by Rogers Media, based in five Canadian cities along with some smaller affiliates, has stepped up its effort to compete in the mainstream.

Purchases made by Canadian networks at the screening of new shows in Los Angeles last week remain largely unconfirmed. But a report from trade publication Variety has speculated about which ones are slated for Citytv based on knowledge it outbid Global Television on a few promising shows.

New offerings picked up by Citytv are expected to include the Fox sci-fi series "Terra Nova," Tim Allen's new ABC sitcom "Last Man Standing" and the Hugh Hefner-endorsed NBC "Mad Men" knock-off "The Playboy Club."

The slate couldn't be much further from the low-budget Canadian fare pioneered in 1972 by station co-founder Moses Znaimer. Citytv retained its reputation for

The decor associated with the typical fast-food restaurant was clearly formulated to keep anyone from getting too comfortable. Cheap eats were rarely accompanied by a soft seat.

But now, inspired by the success of Starbucks, the largest chains have started to take steps to encourage loitering.

Subway has been the latest to unveil a new upscale format, which recently expanded to 15 U.S. cities., with 10 more planned by the end of the year.

Most of the 34,000 or so Subway locations in 98 countries around the planet, including about 2,6oo in Canada, were designed in a gaudy fashion that has made customers want to leave the moment they finish their sandwich, let alone reach for a drink refill.

An entirely different atmosphere, however, has been developed for the new Subway Café.

Brick or wood-panelled walls and lounge-style seating will be the norm at these new restaurants, according to industry trade publication Nation's Restaurant News and some will even incorporate a fireplace. The

• KFC Canada has announced the return of the Double Down on June 1, with a reduced level of sodium compared to the version that was available on a limited-time basis last fall; however, unlike in the U.S., the bunless sandwich is still not a permanent menu item. (Marketwire)

• A study of the digital media industry in Canada, conducted over the seven months through interviews at 200 companies, has concluded that the typical face of Silicon Valley North is a 28-year-old male who makes between $40,000 and $80,000 per year. (Financial Post)

• Unofficial Work From Home Day, which job website Workopolis has called for June 1, has been promoted through an Environics poll that found 88 per cent of Canadians feel that the government should actually declare an official Work From Home Day. (CNW)

What would Marshall McLuhan have thought of the ability to instantly find a video clip on any subject you wanted, at any time, and share it with any and everyone?

Canadians can expect to hear many such questions during the next two months, leading up to the 100th anniversary of the communication theorist's birth, on July 21.

Seeking to publicly explore the answer to this one, however, will be McLuhan biographer Douglas Coupland.

"Coupland McLuhan YouTube," scheduled for Thursday night at the Waldorf Hotel in Vancouver, has promised nothing more complicated than the name would suggest. The author of "Generation X" will surf around online, based on whatever fancy strikes him, and the results will be projected on a large screen.

A dice with words like "political," "cute" and "celebrity" can be rolled by audience members to help provide Coupland withinspiration.

"The link to McLuhan is that he seems to have known so much about the Internet except what it would look like," Coupland