Weekly News Recap: January 20, 2023

January 19, 2023 Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: January 20, 2023

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is pictured last July. The society behind the event has announced it will not be going ahead in 2023 and will hold a vote on the society's future Feb. 1. (Vancouver Folk Music Festival/Facebook)

Music is my religion. ― Jimi Hendrix

SOME GOOD NEWS

Brock Purdy Was Mr. Irrelevant. Now He’s Mr. Impossible. (FiveThirtyEight) In just a few weeks, we will find out. #SuperBowlLVII "Joe Montana. Steve Young. Yelberton Abraham Tittle. Some of the best quarterbacks to ever set foot on an NFL field played for the San Francisco 49ers, but none did what Brock Purdy has done this season. You want wins? Purdy is one of only three rookie quarterbacks since the merger to start five or more games and go undefeated as a starter."
Walmart cashier, 82, retires after TikTok raises $100,000 (BBC) #ThankYouForYourService "An 82-year-old US veteran and Walmart cashier is finally able to retire after an unlikely act of goodwill. Warren Marion, from Cumberland, Maryland, received a cheque for $108,682 (£89,000) last week thanks to the generosity of online donors. A GoFundMe had been setup for Mr Marion by Rory McCarty, a small business owner with a big following on TikTok."
Muskegon Co. boy spreading joy across the globe a decade after his passing (ABC) #Beautiful "After Nik's passing, Lisa and David found a way to use one of their son's greatest passions to spread love to other children. 'Nik loved Matchbox cars, so we started thinking, what could we do to honor his memory with a Matchbox car? So, we got the cars and we bought the little cards to put on them. And we started by putting them in all of the places that Nik loved to go,' Lisa said. The card comes with a simple request, if you find a car, take a photo and post it to a Facebook page called 'In Loving Memory of Nikolas Wypa- Touched by Nik.'"
Two Supportive-Housing Projects Make the Case for Building Many More (Curbed) #Brilliant. More please. "Homelessness in New York may be an intractable problem. Ending the homelessness of any one person — or a dozen, or 100 —is straightforward: Give them a decent place and surround them with competent people who are eager to help. That form of human decency goes by the name supportive housing, and it dates to the early 1980s, which has given it ample time to prove that it works. Those who move out of shelters, prison, foster homes, or off the street and into buildings equipped with in-house counseling tend to stay in their homes, in treatment, and out of trouble. It’s expensive, but it’s cheaper than the alternatives."
US cancer death rate falls 33% since 1991, partly due to advances in treatment, early detection and less smoking, report says (CNN) Some GREAT news! "The rate of people dying from cancer in the United States has continuously declined over the past three decades, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. The US cancer death rate has fallen 33% since 1991, which corresponds to an estimated 3.8 million deaths averted, according to the [report.]"
A cat went missing before his owner moved away. This Hamilton group helped them reunite, 2 months later (CBC) ONTARIO STORY Never give up hope. "After much consideration, despite the fact Dan was still missing, Ehrhardt moved to Dundalk for work in late November. Yet the Hamilton community kept searching for the cat. A few days before the Christmas winter storm that hit Hamilton and much of southern Ontario on Dec. 23, Ehrhardt saw a posting of a cat that looked really similar to Dan, but when he attempted to drive to Hamilton, he crashed his car. 'I gave up hope. I started doing my grieving process and started realizing that there's no way that this cat ever made it through [the storm].'"
Pinball enthusiasts hit the jackpot with revived interest in the 'kinetic, chaotic' game (CBC) PEI STORY I heart pinball. "Games today can involve whole virtual worlds and a dizzying number of pixels, but some Canadians still opt for the tactile plunger of the pinball machine. 'Pinball is random, it's kinetic, it's chaotic, it's physical,' said Seven Graylands, co-owner of the Seven's Pinballorama arcade in Cornwall, P.E.I."
Watch this moose shed its antlers with the shake of its head (CBC) FLORENCEVILL-BRISTOL STORY This is super cool. "Derek Burgoyne gets to witness the beauty of nature while working in the woods in central New Brunswick, but he never expected to capture this. Using his drone, the Plaster Rock man was able to record the moment a bull moose shed its antlers. Burgoyne, who has collected shed antlers since he was a kid, said this moment was something special. 'Never in my wildest dreams would ever imagine catching this on film,' said Burgoyne. 'This is winning the lottery when it comes to wildlife photography for sure.'"
Pets can be like family. Here's a way women fleeing abuse don't have to leave them behind (CBC) FREDERICTON STORY Animals and our love for them is powerful. "The animals usually come to them in good shape. That's the point, according to Krista Foreman, a veterinarian and owner of SouthPaw animal hospital in Fredericton. Women fleeing domestic violence usually love and care for their animals, which is why the Safe For Pets Too program exists — to find a temporary home until a woman can find a safe, animal-friendly place to live. Safe For Pets Too works with shelters and police agencies to take in animals that women don't want to leave behind when escaping an abusive situation. In just over decade of fostering dogs, cats, horses, reptiles and even a goat, Foreman estimates the program has had a 95 per cent success rate in reconnecting owners with their pets."
How an unconnected phone on a nature trail is bringing comfort to grieving people (CBC) NEWFOUNDLAND STORY Who would you call? #Love "Anyone who's lost a loved one would give anything to be able to hear their voice again, and while a new wind phone in Deer Lake won't enable them to have a two-way conversation, it is helping to bring comfort to grieving people. The 'wind phone' is a concept developed in Japan; essentially it's an unconnected phone located in nature, giving people an opportunity to feel they can talk to their loved ones who've died. And it is helping."
82-year-old B.C. resident sets Guinness World Record as oldest man to perform a headstand (CBC) DAAJING GIIDS STORY I love this guy. "A man from B.C.'s Haida Gwaii archipelago has won the title of the world's oldest person to perform a headstand. The Guinness World Records has confirmed Bruce Ives, 82, set the world record in Daajing Giids (formerly Queen Charlotte) on Aug. 7, 2022. Born June 25, 1940, Ives says he has been doing headstands since he learned gymnastics at age 15."
Grade 3 class sends love, drawings and lobster dinner to Nunavut couple married in hospital (CBC) NUNAVUT STORY We need to give kids more credit. ❤️ "It's a love story that's touched a lot of people — including some Grade 3 students at École Įtłʼǫ̀ elementary school in Yellowknife. When their teacher Jasmine Marianayagam first heard the story of a Nunavut couple who married in Yellowknife's Stanton Territorial Hospital last week, she knew she had to share it with her class. The couple — Roy and Sylvia Klengenberg — have been together for years but decided to finally tie the knot last week while they still could. Roy is facing terminal cancer and may not have many more days ahead of him. The Klengenbergs' wedding was a relatively simple affair in the hospital chapel, organized in a matter of hours with help from some friends and family. 'I knew that our class, like my students, would want to hear about it,' Marianayagam said. 'They're old enough to understand ... relationships and love, [and] how it's more than just marriage — and that it just meant so much to Sylvia and Roy to be together, no matter what all the trials and tribulations they're going through.'"

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

Gates Foundation CEO Defends Philanthropy’s Influence On Global Health (Forbes) "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman in his annual letter pushed back against criticism about the organization’s power and influence on key public health initiatives around the world, saying it is not trying to set the world’s agenda on global health and development issues but only 'respond to it,' as the foundation announced its biggest ever annual budget Tuesday."
Crushed by post-pandemic bills, Vancouver Folk Music Festival won't return in 2023 (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY This makes me sad. I hope they come back in 2024. "The Vancouver Folk Music Festival will not be returning to the city in 2023, as the changing event landscape and rising production costs leaves the long-term future of the event hanging in the balance. A statement from the festival's society on Tuesday said it would take an extra $500,000 to produce a festival this summer, which would be 'unfortunately not realistic or sustainable' with its current cash flow. 'We came back in 2022 to find the festival environment greatly changed,' read a statement."
Big Brothers stops accepting children in Surrey to mentorship program due to volunteer shortage (CBC) SURREY STORY Eeek! "Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver says it will no longer accept children to its mentorship program in Surrey, B.C., due to a shortage of volunteers. Thirty kids in Surrey have been approved for the program but are still waiting to be paired with a mentor, the organization says, and the average wait time for a match is two years. The program needs at least 38 more volunteers in Surrey to meet current demand."
Alberta now offering accelerated licensing for internationally trained doctors, specialists (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Great move. Nice leadership from CPSA. "Some international medical graduates can now fast-track their licensing in Alberta. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) announced a five-year pilot project Monday to bring more doctors to the province faster, amid an ongoing shortage and strained emergency departments."
A little hello goes a long way: Small talk with strangers can net you happiness, researchers say (CBC) Introverts are shivering everywhere. "Small talk may be terrifying for some, but a new project in the U.K. is encouraging people to do just that during an everyday ride on the bus. The Neighbourly Lab collects data to help build happier communities. One of their pilot projects, located in Hammersmith, a neighbourhood in London, installed stickers on buses with messages encouraging kindness and interaction. In the joint project with the U.K.'s Transport London, stickers prompt bus passengers to speak to strangers with slogans like 'Who can say hello first?' The idea came after the Neighbourly Lab spent days observing interactions between passengers on the bus, discovering that only one in five passengers greet the driver upon boarding. But lab researcher Grainne O'Dwyer said the social interactions they observed following the sticker prompts were promising."
Floating sauna built on WWII-era barge coming to Victoria's inner harbour (CBC) VICTORIA STORY Very cool (or, as it turns out...hot) "Victoria city council approved a rezoning to allow for a new business in the city's inner harbour that has been generating quite a lot of interest. HAVN is a floating sauna that will be tied up at the pier at Ship Point. It will be built on a Second World War-era marine vessel that is currently being retrofitted at Ogden Point. The venue will feature saunas, cold pools and green space."
Sask. charities see shifting landscape as study shows steepest drop in giving in Canada (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY "A new report from a conservative think tank says people in Saskatchewan and across Canada have been donating less to charity, but non-profit workers in the province say the numbers don't tell the whole story. The Fraser Institute's annual Generosity Index tracks the charitable donations people have claimed on their taxes. The latest report covers claims from 2020 and says charitable donations across the country were the lowest they had been in 10 years. Saskatchewan saw the largest decrease in the country over that 10-year period, with 17.6 per cent of tax filers in 2020 having given to charity, compared to 25.3 per cent in 2010."
Banff Centre For Arts And Creativity Announces Chris Lorway As Incoming President And CEO (Broadway World) BANFF STORY Congrats to all! "Banff Centre [...] announced that the Board of Governors has appointed Chris Lorway as the 8th President and CEO in its 90 year history. Lorway takes the reins effective April 10th, 2023. Adam Waterous, Board Chair and on behalf of the Board of Governors announced the unanimous selection: 'Chris Lorway has senior leadership experience across a broad range of artistic disciplines in both Canadian and international contexts. He is well equipped to move forward our strategic plan, Creative Pathways, which is carefully crafted to have Banff Centre create, connect, grow, partner and engage with our various communities.'"
Why are Canadians' cellphone bills higher than other countries? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Ugh! "Despite government promises to lower the cost of mobile wireless plans and efforts to promote more competition in the market, many Canadians feel they're paying too much with few options for getting better rates. But the industry will tell a different story: that of a market with fierce or at least adequate competition, and companies providing Canadians with rates comparable to the rest of the world despite extraordinary challenges. A Marketplace investigation into the cost of telecom services in Canada has found that many of the oft-quoted industry explanations for high wireless prices — costly operating margins and a sparse Canadian population, for example — are insufficient to explain lower prices found in other countries and even between some provinces."
Future plan for Royal B.C. Museum opened for public input after outcry over lack of consultation (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "British Columbians are being asked to provide their input into the future of the province's flagship museum after a public outcry halted a nearly $800-million rebuild plan last year. [The] Royal B.C. Museum (RBCM) is launching a public engagement process to ensure any future redevelopment of the museum has the support of the public and key interest groups. The engagement process includes in-person and virtual dialogue sessions, as well as consultations with representatives from groups such as Indigenous and multi-cultural communities, municipalities, post-secondary institutions and people with accessibility needs."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

The Power of a Growth Mindset (Better Humans) All of us can and should aspire to grow.
ChatGPT Multi-platform Desktop app: First-hand review (The Tech Insider) It is the next big thing. Here is a starter.
Parkinson’s law — ways to overcome and be more productive (Curious) If you have ever wondered why it takes some people longer to do the same task, here is why.
Reading: Building a Second Brain (Beauty of Creation) We all could use a second brain. I know I could.
The Art of Sunday Planning (The Write Brain) I do all of my weekly planning on Sundays.
Overcoming Perfectionism Pt 1: Change How You Set Goals (Better With Purpose) Are you setting goals on outcomes or outputs?
13 Tips for Optimizing Digital Donations (NonProfitPro) Great tips.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

University of St. Thomas announces $75 million donation toward new on-campus arena (MPR News) #Boom "The University of St. Thomas has unveiled plans for a new basketball and hockey arena to be built on its St. Paul campus — boosted by a $75 million donation the school said is 'the single largest monetary gift ever given to a Minnesota university.' The planned Lee and Penny Anderson Arena is named after the donors, and also will be used for special events including commencement ceremonies."
$25M donation to new London, Ont. homeless plan announced at 2023 state of city address (Global News) LONDON STORY #Wow. We need more of this. A lot more. "An anonymous London, Ont., family is donating $25 million, believed to be the 'single largest gift of its kind in London’s history,' in support of a “bold new approach” to dealing with homelessness in the city."
Record donation of $5 million to help the Coquitlam residential project meet its 2025 completion goal (Canada Today) COQUITLAM STORY Nice gift! "[Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver] announced it has received $5 million from the Al Roadburg Foundation to support its 42-unit [development.]"

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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