Don Cherry kicked off the current political era in Toronto last December when he appeared at city hall to welcome new Mayor Rob Ford, at which time the coach lambasted "all the pinkos out there who ride bicycles and everything."

While Ford was one of the minority of city councillors who voted last year against the adoption of the Bixi bike-sharing program, it was officially welcomed this week by another right-leaning politician who once opposed the plan, Denzil Minnan-Wong.

Providing the option of spontaneously wheeling around the city, a system that proved popular when it launched two years ago in Montreal, became a contentious topic because Bixi asked the City of Toronto for a $4.8 million loan guarantee to install 1,000 bikes at 80 downtown stations.

Furthermore, public enthusiasm wasn't immediate, either: Bixi struggled to sell the first 1,000 annual $95 memberships stipulated as a condition of launch.

Now that the bike stations have started to appear around the city, though, the

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

• The majority of Canadian businesses are looking to expand abroad over the next five years, according to a new report commissioned by the Bank of Montreal, which found that the U.S., China and India top the list of places where new opportunities are being sought. (Marketwire)

• Voters in the Quebec riding of Berthier-Maskinongé knew who they were sending to Ottawa when they elected Ruth Ellen Brosseau, based on a focus group conducted by Ensight Canada, which concluded the controversial NDP candidate lucked out. (The Globe and Mail)

• An attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the most number of people carrying waterjugs on their heads will be attempted Saturday in Toronto as part of a World Vision effort to draw attention to how women are forced to fetch frequently-contaminated water. (CNW)

On the heels of the most exciting federal election in recent memory, one of the more contentious issues from the previous Parliament has already resurfaced.

Canadians began receiving the new short-form census, now just called the census, in the mail Monday. One question that is not on it is the one about religion or ethnicity and that is a problem for some groups.

That question remains only on the voluntary National Household Survey, formerly the long-form census, which will be sent to one in three households.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver is trying to make sure everyone who receives the voluntary National Household Survey fills it out.

"Proudly check off 'Jewish' in the 'religion' or 'ethnicity' box," it writes on its website. "This will help ensure large population numbers so that our voice will be strongly heard."

"The census is an indispensable tool used by Jewish community leaders and planners to better understand their communities and plan for the future," states its

The ballad that became a staple of Worst Songs of All Time lists after its release in 1978 has refused to fade away.

Dan Hill, the man responsible for "Sometimes When We Touch," has also spent the last couple of years self-actualizing the experience of being blamed for it.

The latest chapter, published by The Globe and Mail, started with the experience of seeing boxer Manny Pacquiao croon the song on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in November 2009. A duet between the Toronto pacifist and the Filipino pugilist was eventually proposed.

"Within minutes, Pacquiao and I are singing together at the same mike," Hill wrote of their Hollywood recording session last October. "He is blessed with a superb musical ear and a champion's ability to hyper-focus; despite cameras whirring, people whispering and makeup artists hovering, he loses himself in the song."

Hill admitted to wondering whether Pacquiao would be able to nail the last line, "I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides." But he did. And

Having a 12-year-old teach you calculus is pretty surprising. Having a boy half that age tell you about particle physics is downright shocking.

Six-year-old William Bate of Dartmouth, N.S. is no ordinary primary schooler. In fact, he's not enrolled in public school at all any more. When it became obvious the public school curriculum wasn't challenging him enough, Will's dad, David, pulled him out to begin a home school program.

"He was too frustrated. They kept promising he could do Grade 5 math but they wouldn't let him do a test," David said in a recent Chronicle Herald article.

"And now we can do Grade 8 math," Will added.

According to David, the gifted policies in place in Nova Scotia schools aren't properly implemented, leaving children like Will feeling frustrated because they aren't being challenged and often end up bored.

Now, Will is free to learn at his own pace through lessons provided to him by his dad, who finds the material using online learning websites. Will learns

Canada continues to be one of the worst global offenders when it comes to allowing intellectual property rights to be violated, a U.S. report states.

The "Special 301" Report is an annual review of the state of intellectual property rights protection and enforcement worldwide.

Canada remains on the United States' "Priority Watch List" because of the continuing challenges of copyright piracy over the Internet. Canada is joined on the list by Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, India, Israel, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand and Venezuela.

"Piracy over the Internet is a significant concern with respect to a number of trading partners, including . . . Canada," the report states. "The United States will work with its trading partners to combat these growing problems."

Canada was one of many nations including the U.S. that finalized the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement in November. The agreement is designed to fight trademark counterfeiting and copyright privacy by not only having

Canada's rank as a digital nation continues to decline, according to a study released today by the Canada 3.0 forum.

Research conducted by the Stratford Institute shows when it comes to government procurement of advanced technology products, Canada ranks 26th. The institute said this proves the government is not helping drive investment and innovation.

"Canada continues to decline as a digital nation, contrary to the goals of all of us working hard to improve the country's competitive position," said executive director Ian Wilson in a statement. "We've seen spending on bridges, sewers and other physical infrastructure, but a dismal lack of investment in the new digital economy."

Wilson is talking about the report at Canada 3.0, a group with the goal of making it possible for Canadians to do anything online by 2017. Currently, only one per cent of Canadian audio visual content and 13 per cent of print content is available online.

Wilson acknowledges Industry Minister Tony Clement

Can the neon lights of a theme park still compete in a world of never-ending digital distraction?

Canada's Wonderland, which opened north of Toronto in 1981, has touted two new attractions for its 30th birthday season, which begins Saturday: a gravity-defying thrill ride called the WindSeeker and, later this summer, a nightly light show called "Starlight Spectacular."

While the first major theme park in the country was a huge draw when it opened, its momentum has varied in the decades since, as it changed ownership from Taft Broadcasting to Paramount Pictures and to the Ohio-based Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

Wonderland was never owned by Canadians, but as the Hanna-Barbera cartoon mascots were overshadowed by a roller coaster based on "Top Gun," its regional distinction was diminished. Cedar Fair owns 10 similar parks across the U.S.

Concerts by touring acts at the Kingswood Music Theatre helped broaden the appeal of Wonderland beyond the rides. But now, Wonderland has opted for