Grammy-winning crooner Michael Buble has given his grandfather's home as a gift to the Filipina healthcare worker who cared for his relative. Minette looked after Buble's grandfather for eight years, up until his death in December 2018.
Caregiver Minette's elegant new Vancouver home was first built by Buble's maternal grandfather, Don Demetrio Santanga, 50 years ago. It was then renovated extensively by the Home singer and 'Property Brothers' Jonathan and Drew Scott as part of Celebrity IOU.
The reality show features celebrities who renovate and then give properties as gifts to people who have had a major impact on their lives, with Brad Pitt, Jeremy Renner and Rebel Wilson among the stars who have taken part.
In his episode, which was released last week, Buble reveals he wanted to fulfil his grandfather's dying wish by taking care of Minette.
"My grandfather, his greatest wish was not just that this house was kept in the family but that this would be your home because he loved you so much," the singer told the caregiver in the episode.
Buble, 44, said Minette had given years of service to his family, all the while sending money home to her family in the Philippines. So, while the caregiver made a visit back home to the South-East Asian country, the singer worked with the Celebrity IOU team to overhaul the '70s home.
“My grandfather went from a little bit resentful [about having a nurse] to absolutely becoming one of her best friends, and she became family almost instantly," Buble recalled in the episode.
“Here was this really compassionate, kind empathetic human being with a great sense of humour, a great zest for life, who sort of never did anything for herself.
“I think my grandpa would be thrilled knowing that we could maybe lessen the burden a little bit in allowing Minette to continue helping her family without it being so hard on her.”
Buble had told Minette he was filming a documentary about himself and his grandfather, in a ruse to get her in front of the camera.
Stepping in to the renovated property, the Haven't Met You Yet singer simply told the healthcare worker: "Welcome home."
Minette, who said she normally did not cry, was brought to tears by the gesture.
“It is so much, really, really so much," she said.“I have no words right now. It hasn't sunk in yet. It's beautiful, beautiful.”
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
