Weekly News Recap: September 3, 2021

Montana State University celebrates a historic $101 million gift from Mark and Robyn Jones, founders of Goosehead Insurance, on Aug. 30, 2021. The gift will support the MSU College of Nursing in meeting the future health care needs of Montana. (MSU photo by Kelly Gorham)

In your longing for your giant self lies your goodness: and that longing is in all of you. But in some of you that longing is a torrent rushing with might to the sea, carrying the secrets of the hillsides and the songs of the forest. And in others it is a flat stream that loses itself in angles and bends and lingers before it reaches the shore. -- Khalil Gibrán

SOME GOOD NEWS

Campbell River girl pursuing hockey dream after being raised in Congo orphanage (CTV) CAMPBELL RIVER STORY #CantWaitToWatchHerInTheOlympics "Gina was living in an orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo before Colleen and her husband adopted the girl and her younger sister. Colleen thought it might help to play dolls, but Gina was more interested in balls. That is, until she attended her first hockey game."
Alone in the sky, pilot and fiancee save 17 in Tenn. flood (AP News) #Hero "The weather was terrible and Boyers had to contend with hills and high-voltage power lines on the way to Waverly, a small city about 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Nashville. Just before reaching the town, he set down in a field to get his bearings and realized the internet was down, making it impossible to pinpoint the house he was looking for. He flew on anyway."
This Australian Farmer Isn't Sheepish About Showing Love For His Late Aunt (NPR) #ANephewsLove "Australian sheep farmer Ben Jackson was stuck at home, unable to attend his beloved aunt's funeral. Coronavirus pandemic border closures in the country kept Jackson at home in Guyra in the state of New South Wales, more than 200 miles away from the funeral in Brisbane in Queensland. His aunt died after a two-year battle with cancer."
"Momentous Feat": 1 Crore Vaccinated In A Day As India Sees New Milestone (NDTV) Congrats India. BTW, a crore is 10 million. "India achieved a new milestone in its Covid vaccination drive by administering over 1 crore doses on Friday, its highest single-day count so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate the people for making the immunisation exercise a success."
Quick-thinking teen saves 2 skunks with heads stuck in fast-food cups (CBC) HAMILTON STORY #Heart "Most people run away at the sight of a skunk, but not Sophie Wilson. In the past week, she's not only run toward the black-and-white striped mammals, she's braved the risk of scratches and spray to help save two of them. [...] She was hanging out with her friends near the playground when they saw a skunk digging through some garbage. It came out with its head stuck in a fast-food cup, and Wilson said she snapped into action. [...] The skunk ran off into some bushes and Wilson said she searched for about an hour, but couldn't find it. Upset, she went home and talked to her parents, who agreed to help her track the skunk down the first chance they had. The next night, armed with a fishing net and a towel — her dad's idea — they returned to the park. They found the skunk still stuck in the lid and cut it free, using the net to keep it from running away in the process. Luckily again, the skunk didn't spray."
JoJo Siwa to join same-sex couple on Dancing With the Stars (CBC) Cool! "Pop star JoJo Siwa will compete as part of the first same-sex pairing on Dancing With the Stars for the show's upcoming 30th season. Olympic gymnastics champion Suni Lee will also join the cast, the rest of which will be announced on Sept. 8. ABC said Thursday the celebrities will find out which pro dancer they'll partner with on the season premiere Sept. 20. Siwa, an 18-year-old who has said she identifies as gay and queer, said the same-sex pairing signals to viewers that it's OK to be your true self. She named Lindsay Arnold, Jenna Johnson and Britt Stewart as among the show's regular pros she'd like to be paired with."
6 stories of Canadians who finally got their long-awaited pandemic reunions (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #MargaretCatwood (watch the videos -- they are all great) "The pandemic has brought everyday life to a halt in so many ways. For many Canadians, ensuing travel restrictions have meant they could not be with special people in their lives for months and months — and in some cases, for years. The National has gathered six Canadian stories of people who had to wait too long to be with the ones they care about the most."
12-year-old's friends didn't celebrate after he came out as gay. So a park full of strangers did (CBC) CALGARY STORY Nice work Calgary. "A crowd full of strangers filled a northwest Calgary park to celebrate a boy's rainbow-themed birthday during Pride Week. Leah O'Donnell says when her son Brody Neville came out as gay this spring, the 12-year-old lost many of his friends. That made the prospect of celebrating his birthday this year a sad one. 'I was asking him what he wanted to do for his birthday and he was in tears and said since he came out as gay he lost all his friends, so he didn't even have people who could come,' O'Donnell said. So, she put a call out to the community to show him love, posting about his situation on Facebook. And turn out they did."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

Canada's Aurélie Rivard captures 2nd gold medal in Tokyo (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Congrats Aurélie! "Canada's Aurélie Rivard has struck gold for a second time in Tokyo, successfully defending another Paralympic title at the Games. The 25-year-old had a powerful race, obliterating her own world record by finishing with a time of four minutes 24.08 seconds in the women's S10 400-metre freestyle on Wednesday. Heading out to receive her gold on the podium, the athlete said she wondered whether 'it might be the last time.'"
How ‘pivot’ became the pandemic buzzword, for better or for worse (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN CONTENT Yep. "Of all the words and phrases that will be indelibly linked to the pandemic, from 'flatten the curve' to 'second wave' to 'social distancing,' none have come to define the massive social change of this era like 'pivot.' It is, arguably, the defining word of the pandemic and the need for change it has forced upon us. To some people the word is insidious, suggesting a simple action – turning upon a fixed axis – when what is required amidst world-altering chaos is so much more difficult and complex. To others it’s a mere nuisance, an insult to those people struggling to survive. Whatever you make of it, the word is one that will define our lives and the challenges we face long after the pandemic is [over.]"
Top CEOs urge diversification as Alberta grapples to find its place in changing world (Energetic City) CALGARY STORY "Susannah Pierce’s children aren’t interested in following in her footsteps. The president of Shell Canada Ltd., one of Canada’s largest integrated oil companies, heads up a workforce of 3,500 Canadian employees, earned public recognition as the face of the $40 billion LNG Canada project, and has lived and worked around the world. But Pierce’s 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter don’t see a future for themselves in the industry where their mother has thrived." RELATED: Calgary is becoming the centre of Canada’s carbon innovation pivot.
Alberta Health says online vaccine record improvements coming (CBC) ALBERTA STORY This has been a huge headache for many, including our family. "Alberta Health says it is working to improve access to digital immunization records — something some Albertans have been struggling with in recent weeks. Most Albertans are able to access health information through the province's online MyHealth Records tool, but three vaccinated adults told CBC News on Wednesday that they have encountered problems with the system. Lisa King, who lives just outside of Wainwright, said she can see her immunizations on MyHealth Records, but not those of her sons, who are 12 and 13 years old."
B.C. SPCA $1.4M richer after court upholds will of deceased Vancouver woman (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY It just goes to show the power of a properly executed last will and testament. "The B.C. SPCA will receive the lion's share of an almost $2 million estate settlement after a B.C. Supreme Court justice found that a handwritten note of murky provenance was not enough to override the valid will of a Vancouver woman who died almost four years ago."
Saskatchewan's emission numbers make us a world leader in the worst way possible (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY "To reach its climate targets, Canada needs some serious action from Saskatchewan. It's a matter of urgency not just in this province, but worldwide. Earlier this month, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) released a report called Code Red for Humanity. It warns that global warming is dangerously close to being out of control, and that extreme heat waves, droughts and flooding will become normal. [...] Saskatchewan has a prominent role in this complex global story. Saskatchewan's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are among the highest in the world per capita. It is Canada's third largest GHG emitting province in total volume and its per-capita emissions of 67.7 tonnes are 246 per cent above Canada's national average of 19.6 tonnes per capita."
Major sports teams could soon lose money, fans if they fail to adopt COVID-19 vaccine passports, say academics (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "The Saskatchewan Roughriders and other major sports teams could find themselves in a deep financial hole if they refuse to implement a COVID-19 vaccine passport system, say experts in sports management. Marvin Ryder, a professor of sports business strategy at McMaster University, said an anti-passport fan revolt is highly unlikely, given the surging COVID numbers and hospitalizations. Ryder said the vocal minority claiming infringements on individual liberty is rapidly losing support."
Bow to Bluff project puts skateboarding, walking and biking into shared park (CBC) CALGARY STORY I live right there. This is excellent. "Calgary's skate parks are typically tucked away, built separately from other uses. But the Bow to Bluff project in Sunnyside is creating a nexus of users — a trend that the skate community would like to see more of. The project conceived back in 2011 when citizens in the community set out to reinvent the space surrounding Calgary's Northwest LRT line. After years of consultation, construction is underway on the $5.5 million project."
Introducing yourself as a 'settler' creates division (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Very interesting. "There's been a trend for the past few years in Canada where people introduce themselves as 'settlers.' Friends I have talked to refer to it as the fancy way of calling themselves white. Is white taboo now? Opening a conversation with the preface that you are a settler focuses on the past and creates a division right off the bat. It's like saying you're on the winning team — like a Toronto Maple Leafs Fan introducing themselves as the 1967 Stanley Cup champions. Things are changing."
Grocery store sticker shock hits consumers as drought takes toll on crops (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Canadians have started to pay more for groceries as severe drought drives up prices for agricultural commodities, and experts say more price hikes are likely this fall. At the Bon Ton Meat Market in Calgary, owner Greg Keller said the spike in retail beef prices over the last two months has been 'unbelievable.' Some items have increased 10 to 15 per cent, some items have increased 20 per cent,' Keller said. 'I've never seen such volatile markets, and I've been doing this a long time.'"

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

10 Daily Micro-Habits from a Digital Minimalist to Upgrade Your Focus (The Ascent) #8 is brilliant and #2 is likely the most important of all.
How to Actually Achieve More in A Day than Most Normally Do in A Week (Better Humans) Are you creating two small task buckets everyday? Perhaps you should.
The Breath Is a Back Door to Your Vagus Nerve (elemental+) What happens in Vagus...stays in Vagus. #DadJoke. In all seriousness, this amps up my desire to do more breathing meditation.
Lessons from the Best Time Management Book You’ll Ever Read (Ashley Paramo) Are you paying yourself first. Often, I am not. Time to start. Also, dumping a ton of 'middling priorities'.
A Comprehensive Approach to Personal Note-taking (Cameron Flint's Blog) Amazing. Comprehensive. Smart. And cool. #NoteNerds
Success Is in What We Do Before Each Sunset (Better Humans) I could not agree more. "Success is about the efforts of today."
Introducing yourself without saying your title (UX Design) I don't do this enough. I am proud of being a fundraiser. I am going to lead with that.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

$101M donation to MSU leaves Missoula nursing campus "speechless" (KPAX) #Boom "An announcement at Montana State University on Monday sent shockwaves through the collegiate nursing community. A gift of $101 million was given to the MSU College of Nursing on behalf of the founders of Goosehead Insurance, Mark and Robyn Jones."
Virtual tour of Alberta helps raise $1.9M for cancer research (CTV) ALBERTA STORY Nice work riders! "More than 800 riders took part in a new fundraising event for cancer research in Alberta, which has already earned nearly $2 million. The Enbridge Tour Alberta for Cancer, a unique virtual event, provided an opportunity for Albertans to ride solo or form their own team and safely ride anywhere in the province for any distance they like. Organizers say the new event builds on the success of 12 years of Enbridge's Ride to Conquer Cancer."
East Central College receives 'historic' $5M donation from anonymous donors (emissouerian.com) Nursing is killing it. "East Central College has received the largest donation in its history — $5 million. The gift, which was made by a couple who have asked to remain anonymous, is meant to be used for nursing scholarships and the campus food [pantry.]"

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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Vincent DuckworthSeptember 3, 2021Comment