Weekly News Recap: September 10, 2021

Weekly News Recap: September 10, 2021

A statue of Egerton Ryerson, one of the architects of the residential school system, lies on the grounds of the university that bears his name after being toppled in June. The school announced Thursday that it is changing its name. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come. -- Karen Joy Fowler

SOME GOOD NEWS

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Ryerson University to change its name amid reckoning with history of residential schools (CBC) TORONTO STORY I honestly did not think they would do it but I am glad they did. "Ryerson University's board of directors has voted to change the Toronto school's name over concerns about the man the institution is named for and his links to Canada's residential schools. In a post on the school's website [...], president and vice-chancellor Mohamed Lachemi announced the change is forthcoming as part of 22 recommendations made by the university's Standing Strong (Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win) Task Force. Egerton Ryerson is considered one of the primary architects of the residential school system and, in recent years, staff and students had been calling for both the removal of his statue and for the university to change its name."

  2. Opinion: We need free mental health care in Canada and we need it now (Daily Hive) CANADIAN STORY #MentalHealthIsHealth "The last 18 months haven’t exactly been awesome. The pandemic has been hard on us, our families and our communities. With more grief and loss, more financial insecurity, more anxiety, loneliness and stress, it’s often felt like too much. Especially for those experiencing racial injustice, discrimination or barriers to accessing mental health care, the pandemic has exposed many aspects of our society and our safety nets that were already unfair, unjust, tenuous or inadequate."

  3. The pandemic has changed the way people dress. Should office wardrobes change, too? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY I am all for this. "After 18 months of working from home, some workers returning to the office this fall are re-evaluating what it means to dress for work. Amy Robichaud, an executive director for the non-profit foundation Dress for Success Vancouver, says the pandemic has sped up the "casualization" of many workers' wardrobes.

  4. Gardening could halve stroke patients’ chance of dying early (Barchester.com) CANADIAN CONTENT Nice work University of Calgary. "Regularly carrying out tasks in the garden or going for a walk could help stroke patients to live longer, a new study has found. Scientists at the University of Calgary [...] have discovered that such activities can reduce the risk of dying early by half. Those recovering from a stroke who exercised in these ways for at least three hours a week saw the benefit. Meanwhile, two hours of cycling had a similar effect, demonstrating how finding an activity that suits the individual can be beneficial."

  5. Ollie up: Canadian skateboarding scene experiencing a post-Olympic boost (CBC) CANADIAN STORY I love seeing our youth interested in the Olympics. #Skateboarding "Violet Whyte cruises the bowl on her board at the Castle Downs Skatepark in Edmonton's north end. 'It just feels fun and I feel alive,' says the 19-year-old from Sherwood Park. Whyte belongs to the women and girl-based Tiger Skate Club, which is helping to grow the sport in Edmonton."

  6. Drought in Prairies drives up food costs for restaurants already hurt by pandemic (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Ugh. Things are already tough in this industry. "Widespread drought in the Canadian Prairies is driving up commodity prices, leaving restaurants to contend with a higher cost of doing business. 'Everything has gone up, especially produce and meat prices,' Thomas Siarkos said. Siarkos, who has owned Memories Dining and Bar in Regina for 32 years, said the prices of the beef and produce he uses have recently soared by 12 per cent."

  7. Demand for meals for hungry students expected to jump: charity (660 City News) CALGARY STORY I heart BB4CK. "Calgary volunteers are hard at work to make sure students don’t go hungry this school year–a small act that makes the world of difference. The 300 hands behind Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids have been able to increase school attendance by simply giving students a healthy lunch. Brittany Vine, the program director, says having a proper meal can mean the difference between going to school or staying home for some kids."

  8. BC SPCA launches ‘pet food bank’ in Richmond (Richmond News) RICHMOND STORY Great idea. "The BC SPCA has opened a new 'pet food bank' in Richmond to help feed pets in need across the city. The program primarily distributes dog and cat food, as well as cat litter, but has met other needs in the community as required, such as for small animals, said BC SPCA outreach specialist Marieke van der Velden."

  9. Mamma Mia, here they go again! Abba announces virtual concert, 1st new album in 40 years (CBC) #DancingQueen "Swedish superstar group Abba announced Thursday they are releasing a new album, Voyage, and will 'perform' a concert — as digital characters — in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Band members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson made the announcement in person on Thursday at the park's ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture. The Abba Arena, a new purpose-built venue that can hold 3,000 audience members, is being built at the park to host the group's upcoming concert."

  10. BC SPCA announces wildlife photograph winners and they're frickin' adorable (PHOTOS) (Vancouver Is Awesome) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY Congrats! Great photos. "This was the 13th edition of the event which features the best of amateur wildlife photography in BC with contestants entering in two categories, Backyard Habitats and Wild Settings. The organization is calling it their most successful year ever for the contest."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Most Effective Way to Burn Body Fat: Eat, Sleep, And Train (Zack Harris) I have personally seen the effects on my metabolism with just a few training sessions a week. #BuildMuscle

  2. How To Make Any Habit Stick: a Complete Guide (Better Humans) I have trouble making new habits stick. Mostly because I don't follow these rules.

  3. How Many Apples A Day Keep Your Gut Bacteria Happy? (Pedram Shojai) This is so interesting. I like apples and I especially like eating them in the evening. Maybe this is why?

  4. 5 Visual Mathematical Proofs (Math Simplified) It has been a while since I scratched my math nerd itch. #YoureWelcome

  5. You Can Predict How Long You Will Live in 10 Seconds or Less (In Fitness and in Health) We did this as a family. Let's just say, it caught our attention. And, I need to practice balancing more. #MyLifeMightDependOnIt

  6. Understand This Rarely Mentioned Concept and You Will Never Stop Learning (Better Humans) I could not agree more. Even in my lifetime, some things that I firmly believed to be true when I was 16 have been shown to be clearly not.

  7. The Most Important Thing We Bring to Another person (Personal Growth) Sit with trees, teach yourself this important skill.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. UMass Medical School in Worcester to be renamed following ‘history-making’ donation of $175 million from Morningside Foundation (Mass Live) #Wow! "UMass Medical School [...] announced a $175 million donation the school referred to as 'history-making' and 'transformational.' The donation from The Morningside Foundation more than doubles the medical school’s endowment. As part of the donation from the Chan family of investors, the school in Worcester will be renamed the UMass Chan Medical School. Its three graduate schools will be renamed to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences."

  2. Massive $20M donation to Pitt leads to bizarre name change for head coaching position (Yahoo) "Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi got a new job title Thursday. Instead of being the head coach at Pitt football, Narduzzi will now be known as the Chris Bickell '97 Head Football Coach. No, really."

  3. Facebook Announces $3 Million Donation for Afghan Refugees and Aid Organizations (Social Media Today) "As Afghanistan faces a growing humanitarian crisis in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the nation, rescue and aid organizations are working to meet rising demand, and ensure that refugees are able to escape from the more restrictive militant regime."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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