Weekly News Recap: April 30, 2021

Alberta Ballet company artists in Alice in Wonderland. This production is a favourite of patron Barbara Palmer, who just gifted $3 million to the ballet. Courtesy, Alberta Ballet. PHOTO BY IVAN KARABOBALIEV /Calgary

Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. […] Dance when you’re perfectly free. -- Jalaluddin Rumi

BRAINTRUST PHILANTHROPY PODCAST

We posted our first episode of our Legends of Fundraising Series last week. Our inaugural guest was Andrea McManus. She has and continues to have an amazing career. You can hear all about it on Tunes, Google Play, Spotify and right here on our website. It's a really great episode. I hope you will give it a listen and...even better...subscribe.

SEASON 3 OF FUNDRAISING ASK ANYTHING

We are midway through our third season of our popular Fundraising Ask Anything Zoom Chats. Our next session will take place on May 21: What happens when your new normal is 65% of what it used to be? Or how about when something that was not possible pre-pandemic is now suddenly very much available? During times of calamity, there is also opportunity. Partnerships, mergers, and all manner of inventive and creative associations are being discussed and announced. Join us as we host a panel of experts who have or will be doing both. Mergers, co-habitation, and natural bedfellows: Fierce collaboration in the time of COVID.

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ONLY IN CANADA

• Hundreds lose internet service in northern B.C. after beaver chews through cable (CBC) TUMBLER RIDGE STORY I love my country :-) "Internet service was down for about 900 customers in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., after a beaver chewed through a crucial fibre cable, causing 'extensive' damage. In a statement, Telus spokesperson Liz Sauvé wrote that in a 'very bizarre and uniquely Canadian turn of events,' crews found that a beaver chewed through the cable at multiple [points.]"

SOME GOOD NEWS

• Bored in the pandemic, she made art by bruising bananas. Now she has an international following. (Washington Post) Art really is all around us. "Anna Chojnicka was bored as she quarantined last year in her London apartment because of a suspected case of covid-19. She was so bored that she absent-mindedly picked up a banana on her kitchen table and started running her fork along the outside of the peel. The dark lines that appeared on the peel looked interesting to her, and she watched as the marks gradually got darker. She continued doodling and was soon fascinated. She drew eyes, a nose and a mouth and — satisfied with how it looked — decided to see how far she could go with it."

• How this NASA engineer went from Gaza to Mars (Channel4) #Inspiring "NASA scientists created history yesterday when they flew a small helicopter on Mars – an epic achievement, over 170,000,000 miles from Earth. For one of the lead NASA engineers in California, Loay Elbasyouni, this incredible journey mirrored his own adventure after growing up in Gaza in the Middle East and moving to America as a 20-year-old to study."

• A hiker was lost and desperate. A stranger with an unusual hobby saved him. (Washington Post) #NerdsWillSaveUsAll "The department tweeted: 'Are You an Avid Hiker in the Mt. Waterman Area? #LASD SAR Teams need help locating a #missing hiker.' Kuo, 47, inspected the image and thought, 'I bet I could find that spot,' he recalled. Kuo works in the tech industry, but he is also an amateur radio operator. For several years, as a hobby, he has used his Twitter account to alert the public about natural disasters. He regularly examines satellite imagery to identify and track local wildfires. Plus, he has another unusual pastime: “I have always loved looking for where photos are taken,” Kuo said. He frequently tries to identify where movie scenes, television shows or commercials were filmed. He’s often successful."

• Outdoor enthusiast pens new guidebook on family-friendly waterfall hikes in B.C. (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY After the May Long Weekend, we can all go! "Waterfall Hikes in Southern British Columbia will be published next month. In it, Steve Tersmette provides hiking directions to more than 100 waterfalls across the southern half of the province. Many of them are suitable for families with young children who may not be capable of longer walks."

• The pandemic isn’t stopping this Yellowknife teen from focusing on her Olympic dream (CBC) YELLOWKNIFE STORY #GoGirl! "Yellowknife speed skater Wren Acorn, 18, dreams of going to the Olympics. The pandemic isn’t getting in her way of training to reach that goal."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

1. Alberta energy sector icon Stanley A. Milner remembered for his generosity and many achievements (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY RIP Stan. We will not see your like again. "Stanley A. Milner, an icon in Alberta’s energy sector, has died. [...] Born in Calgary in 1930, Milner graduated from the University of Alberta and began his career in the wake of the Leduc oil discovery in 1947. He founded Chieftain Development Co. Ltd. in 1964, which was bought by Alberta Energy Company in 1988, and Chieftain International Inc., in 1989."

2. Banff Centre unveils new strategic plan (Rocky Mountain Outlook) BANFF STORY Banff Centre's plan is inspiring. ViTreo is proud to be working with Banff Centre. "While work on the plan had already started when COVID-19 took centre stage last March, the current state of affairs for the storied arts institution, and the sector overall as a result of the pandemic, has factored into its strategic framework for the future. President and CEO Janice Price said the last year has been difficult, but being able to factor the changed circumstances around the world as a result of the pandemic into the new strategic plan was critical to understanding how The Banff Centre would overcome its present situation and succeed into the future."

3. Ground broken on $500M expansion of Calgary BMO Centre (CBC) CALGARY STORY #CantWait "The expansion will see the current facility at Stampede Park double in size, adding 560,000 square feet of space to the building. New renderings of the expansion show a modern interior (and, some might say, a not-very-Stampede look) that stands in stark contrast to the interior of the current BMO Centre."

4. A pathway to Airdrie? How a citizen's proposal captured the city's imagination (CBC) AIRDRIE STORY I love this! "Airdrie is seriously considering a bike and pedestrian pathway that would connect the city to Calgary. Last week, the Airdrie city council reviewed a pitch complete with costs, stakeholders to engage, and a planned-out route to pave the path — and the idea, funnily enough, was presented by a Calgary-based photographer."

5. Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins dead at age 90 (CBC) Godspeed Col. Collins. You inspired a world. "American astronaut Michael Collins, who stayed behind in the command module of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969 while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin travelled to the lunar surface to become the first humans to walk on the moon, died on Wednesday at age 90, his family said."

6. Calgary Flames founding co-owner Byron 'B.J.' Seaman dead at 97 (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Byron Seaman, one of the founding owners of the Calgary Flames, has died at age 97. Byron James "B.J." Seaman and his late brother Daryl "Doc" Seaman were among six Calgary men along with Nelson Skalbania who bought the Atlanta Flames and moved the NHL club to Alberta in 1980."

7. An 'uncommon brilliance': Acclaimed Calgary playwright Sharon Pollock dies at 85 (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Pollock, who twice won the Governor General's Award for Drama for her plays Blood Relations and Doc, died on Friday after battling colon cancer. The former artistic director of Theatre Calgary was 85."

8. Glenbow Museum announces diverse group of nominations for board of governors (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY #Leadership "Glenbow Museum has nominated five new governors in a step to further diversify its board and build a more equitable museum. Once the five nominees are formally confirmed as governors later this year, the museum’s board will include 10 Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) members. Forty-two per cent of the board will be BIPOC members, an increase from the current 22 per cent."

9. Lethbridge woman accused of stealing more than $500,000 from University of Lethbridge (My Lethbridge Now) LETHBRIDGE STORY "A local woman is being accused of stealing more than half a million dollars from the University of Lethbridge in an internal theft case. Police began their investigation back in 2018 when the U of L detected a potential fraud. Investigators with the Economic Crimes Unit allege the woman used her position with the university to falsify records and conceal the theft of $580,000 over the course of a year. 57 year old Donna Court was recently charged with fraud over $5,000; theft over $5,000; and possession of stolen property over $5,000."

10. Veterinarians suffering burnout, forcing some Calgary animal clinics and hospitals to reduce hours (CTV) CANADIAN STORY #Ugh "As the pandemic wears on, veterinarians are getting worn out. Everyone is impacted by COVID-19 and the restrictions brought in to protect people's health, but those in the veterinary medicine field are also dealing with more patients, higher stress and staff shortages."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

1. 2 Competing Impulses Will Drive Post-pandemic Social Life (The Atlantic) For me, I am going out and seeing friends as much as possible. What about you?

2. How to Build Unshakable Self-Discipline (Personal Growth) Start with baby steps. #Everyday

3. How to Learn Complex Things Quickly (Start it up) In the Information Age, this is are essential skills.

4. 9 Books I’ve Gifted and Recommended the Most (Books Are Our Superpower) When I see a that contains Peter Druckers, "The Effective Executive", it's a good list.

5. The Most Meaningful Things You Can Do If You Have 2, 5, 15, 30 or 60 Minutes (Forge) #Smart

6. Work In A Flow State For 2+ Hours Per Day Using The ‘3C Method’ (Better Advice) I have had trouble finding flow during the pandemic. This will help.

7. If You’re Exhausted by Zoom, Try ‘Reverse Meetings’ Instead (Inc.) I am totally doing this!

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

1. Scholarship launched at Ryerson Law thanks to $1 million donation, largest to date (Law Times) TORONTO STORY "The Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation has donated $1 million to Ryerson University’s law school to establish the Dale H. Lastman Leadership Scholarships, marking the biggest single gift to the law school so far."

2. Lifelong patron gifts $3 million to Alberta Ballet (Calgary Herald) ALBERTA STORY A lovely and important gift. Thank you! "A longtime supporter has donated $3 million to the Alberta Ballet Foundation with hopes it spurs other arts lovers to give back to cultural institutions. “Supporting the arts everywhere is important but, in Alberta, it’s critical because we are geographically separate. If we want to see great talent, we must provide for it here. We can’t just drive to Montreal or Vancouver for the night. And there is no substitute for a live performance,” said Barbara Palmer who has been a lifelong advocate, donor and subscriber to Alberta Ballet."

3. MRU to transform student spaces with $15-million gift from Taylor Family Foundation (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY #BOOM! Thank you Don and Ruth. "A $15-million donation from the Taylor Family Foundation will see empty spaces in Mount Royal University transformed into areas for learning and student services. The gift, announced Thursday morning, will complement $50 million in capital funding from the provincial government."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

• NASA’s Mars Helicopter Completes First Flight on Another Planet (New York Times)

• Vivo set for groundbreaking of $62M expansion of N.E. rec centre (Calgary Herald)

• This Terrifying Chart Helps Me Get Things Done (Forge)

Welcome to our recap of the week's news, articles, and information of note. ViTreo Group Inc. provides this information for the benefit of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders. The content is collected and curated by ViTreo President & CEO Vincent Duckworth. If you would like to submit a link for consideration, please send an email to info@vitreogroup.ca

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