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Adventurous Spencer Bubis impressive combination of scholarly achievement, athletic ability and social activism
By MYRON LOVE
Last summer, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to the Inuit community of Arctic Bay in the High Arctic to announce the creation of a new long term protected area in Canada’s High Arctic Basin, one of those on hand to greet him was none other tthan Spencer Bubis.
Now, you may well be wondering what a 17-year-old Winnipeg high school student was doing in Arctic Bay in the middle of the summer. And that is an interesting story in itself.
Last summer, Bubis took time out from his summer job as a counselor at BB Camp to take part in a two-week expedition to Greenland and the high Arctic, funded by a scholarship from the American Embassy in Ottawa. “Students on Ice” is a 20-year-old organization that is dedicated to taking groups of students on polar expeditions to learn about the region.
“I have always been the kind of person who is enthusiastic about trying new things,” he says.
Bubis was one of 130 students (up to the age of 24) – along with another 100 experts in matters pertaining to the Arctic – who were on board an ice breaker which travelled for over 4,000 km from Greenland up to Resolute Bay and back.
“We all met in Ottawa and boarded a chartered flight to Greenland,” he reports. “Fifty percent of the students were Indigenous – including Sami people from northern Scandinavia.
“It provided us with an interdisciplinary approach to learning about the Arctic and its peoples. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life to date. The icebergs are beautiful. The Arctic is a special place that more Canadians should learn about. I hope to go back again at some point in my life.”
Bubis learned about Students on Ice from someone he met on an earlier trek to Ecuador and the Amazon rainforest in 2017. That visit, during which he was a Canadian youth ambassador, was organized by EF Tours Canada.
Considering his passion for travel, it perhaps came as little surprise that in 2018 he won the provincial Canadian Geographic Challenge with an accompanying invitation to be among 20 competitors across Canada for the national championships. (He fell somewhat short of the national title.)
He was also one of four winners of an essay contest – co-sponsored by the University of Manitoba Department of History and the Seven Oaks School Division – the subject being the Winnipeg General Strike.
While the son of Daniel Bubis and Jennifer Blumenthal has seen more of Canada and the world than most young people his age, this story is much more than an account of his travels. You might say that Spencer is the complete package – combining a yen for adventure, scholastic excellence, athletic ability and social activism.
“From a young age, I have been drawn to opportunities that allow me to help people,” he says. “My parents raised us (Spencer and his younger brother) to have a sense of empathy.”
That side of Bubis is indicated, for example, by his teaching swimming – as a volunteer – to special needs kids at the Cindy Klassen Pool. “Special need kids often love the water,” he notes.
And, at St. John’s Ravencourt, where he is “assistant head boy” (which he equates with being vice-president of student council), he revitalized the Philanthropy Club and initiated a Koats for Kid campaign that has collected 1,600 coats over the past three years for underprivileged kids.
He has also been an athletic leader during his time at SJR. He has most recently started a cross-country ski team. He is also on the varsity boys’ cross country running team and the school’s relay team, both of which earned championship banners for the school.
Nationally, Bubis has served for three years on the executive of Experiences Canada’s Youth Advocacy Council and was the council president last year. The organization helps younger Canadians to get to know their country through exchange programs, forums and conferences.
“There are 18 if us on the council from across Canada,” he says. “Our role is to provide feedback from a youth perspective. We also create our own goals and projects under the auspices of Experiences Canada.”
His achievements in all facets of life have earned Bubis consideration for a $100,000 Loran Scholars Foundation scholarship. The scholarship would cover four years of university. He reports that over 5,000 students from across Canada applied. “I was one of 150 students who passed the first round,” he says. “We took part in a video conference in December followed by a series of interviews with committee members in Toronto.”
The Winnipegger was one of 88 national finalists, each of whom receives a $5,000 bursary.
For next year, Bubis says that has applied both to McGill University and Western in London, Ontario. “What I like about the Ivey School of Business at Western,” he says, “is that I can spend the first two years studying Arts or Social Science. So I could earn two degrees. I have a lot of interests, but I am not sure yet what I want to do.”
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
