Weekly News Recap: October 20, 2023

Weekly News Recap: October 20, 2023

Rebecca Major speaking at Yukon University following her appointment as the research chair on northern governance.

I am a firm believer that every few years one needs to shake one's life through a sieve, like a miner in the Yukon. The gold nuggets remain. The rest falls through like the soft earth it is. -- Amy Poehler

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Sam Sieracki breaks Guinness World Record for solving Rubik's Cube while skydiving (ABC) You would think that you might be thinking about other things whilst falling from a plane. #StillPrettyCool "A 17-year-old West Australian has taken out the Guinness World Record for the fastest time solving a rotating puzzle cube in freefall. Sam Sieracki solved a Rubik's Cube in 28.25 seconds while skydiving, after jumping out of an aeroplane at 14,000 feet over Jurien Bay."

  • Sarah Sunny: How India's first deaf lawyer made history in Supreme Court (BBC) #Amazing "Last week, Sarah Sunny made history after she became India's first deaf lawyer to argue in the country's Supreme Court. The 27-year-old first appeared before Chief Justice DY Chandrachud in September after the court made an exception and allowed a sign language interpreter to assist her with the arguments. On 6 October, the court also appointed its own interpreter for Ms Sunny, the first in the court's history, so that 'she could understand what was going on' during the proceedings."

  • A winning ticket sold in California nabs a Powerball jackpot of more than $1.7 billion (CNN) Not a bad win for the store selling the ticket either. "A single ticket sold in California scored the second-largest jackpot in Powerball and US lottery history during Wednesday night’s drawing, according to Powerball. The winning numbers are 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and the Powerball 10. The ticket to snag the estimated jackpot of more than $1.7 billion was sold at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, California, roughly 70 miles north of Los Angeles, according to the California Lottery."

  • It's not all bad news: Wonderful and wild stories about tackling climate change (NPR) #BabyGlacier "[As] part of our week of coverage focused on climate solutions, [NPR] pulled together some of the moments of success, of progress small and large. Some are solutions underway; some are efforts from the past that are paying off in new and unexpected ways. Some are weird reminders of the power of nature and the role we play. And some are just good news."

  • It's spooky how fast Spirit Halloween stores pop up. Here's how the retailer does it (NPR) It's a pretty cool business actually. "In the world of spooky commerce, there's one name that rises above the rest: Spirit Halloween. The seasonal retailer sells costumes, decorations and just about anything else somebody might need for Halloween. Despite only operating from early August to early November, Spirit Halloween has become as much a part of the fall season as pumpkin patches and sweater weather, and with more than 1,400 locations in the United States and Canada, it's not hard to understand why."

  • VIDEO: Crowd surfing in a wheelchair? This B.C. man has done it multiple times (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #Wow "A B.C. man is gaining a lot of attention online after attending a Billy Talent concert in Penticton and being lifted up by the crowd in his wheelchair. Francis Laderoute has done this before and shares his strategy."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment a couple swapped their Ontario home for a chateau in France (CBC) ONTARIO STORY I mean...wouldn't you? "Stephen and Sara Cole saw that their home in Fergus, Ont., had the same value as a chateau in France, and now they are living in an 11-bedroom, 500-year-old castle."

  • For better or for worse: Ferry breaks down, but couple still able to renew wedding vows (CBC) PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND STORY I love this. "It didn't go exactly as planned, but when you've been married 45 years, you don't sweat the small stuff. So, when Cheri and Randy Longsdorf boarded the MV Confederation ferry on Saturday with the intention of renewing their wedding vows on the 75-minute trip from Wood Islands, P.E.I., to Caribou, N.S., they were unfazed when the ferry experienced mechanical issues and they had to disembark at the dock with the rest of the passengers. But not without saying I do."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. U.S. tech workers offer to fill vacancies left by Israeli reservists (Semafor) "More than 1,000 startup founders, operators, and coders in the U.S. have volunteered to help Israeli tech companies that have lost workers, who are reservists who have been called up by Israel after the Hamas attack. Because of Israel’s compulsory military service and large number of reservists, some startups have seen nearly their entire staff go off to war, according to interviews with half a dozen people connected to the Israeli tech industry. Zoe and Michael Burian, New York city residents who work in tech and have lived in Israel, came up with the idea to help startups stay afloat: They created an online form and asked family and friends if they could donate their time to Israeli startups."

  2. Parks Canada signs agreement with First Nations, opens door to harvesting in Jasper (Calgary Herald) ALBERTA STORY #GoodMove "Parks Canada and two First Nations have signed an agreement that points to a stronger Indigenous voice in national parks management and opens the door to harvesting in western Alberta’s Jasper National Park. 'We want to be part of decision-making in the park,' Chief George Lampreau, of the Simpcw First Nation, said from Barriere, B.C. Parks Canada spokesman Mark Young said the agreement between Parks Canada, the Simpcw and Alberta’s Stoney Nation is part of a larger move within the agency to reopen parks lands to First Nations and restore their influence on how they’re managed."

  3. Yukon University announces new research chair on northern governance (CBC) WHITEHORSE STORY Congrats to all. ViTreo is proud to be working alongside Yukon University. "Yukon University has announced Rebecca Major as the new research chair on northern governance. A core function of the position, said Major, will be to understand the impacts and development of different levels of government, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, in the North. Major is a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario. She's an assistant professor at the University of Windsor and has a doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan in Indigenous Public Policy."

  4. Wab Kinew officially sworn in as Manitoba's 1st First Nations premier (CBC) MANITOBA STORY Congrats to all, especially Premier Kinew. "Wab Kinew has officially become Manitoba's 25th premier, and the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province, following a colourful and tradition-filled swearing-in ceremony that Kinew said marked the dawn of a new day for the province. Kinew took his oath of office, which was administered by Manitoba Lt.-Gov. Anita Neville, while wearing a ceremonial First Nations headdress in a ceremony at The Leaf in Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park. After taking his oath, Kinew greeted the crowd in the languages of seven different Manitoba Indigenous nations, and said Wednesday was the start of a new era."

  5. McGill shelves $50M French program after Quebec out-of-province tuition hike (CBC) MONTREAL STORY #Ouch "McGill University was set to invest $50 million to teach students, faculty and staff French to 'integrate more fully into Quebec society,' but says it is pausing the program's announcement, after the provincial government said it would double tuition for out-of-province students. Late last week, Quebec's minister of higher education, Pascale Déry, said new, out-of-province Canadian students will see tuition fees double next year — for most, that would mean their tuition would rise from about $9,000 to more than $17,000."

  6. Five charts to help understand Canada's record-breaking wildfire season (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "It has been months since Canada surpassed the record for the worst wildfire season in recorded history in terms of area burned. Since June 27, to be exact. And some fires are still burning. Here's an overview of the unprecedented season and what it means for the future of Canada's forests."

  7. The hope and hype of hydrogen (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Imagine a fuel capable of powering cars, planes and factories, just like gasoline or natural gas. But instead of emitting greenhouse gases, it releases only water vapor. Spoiler alert: It’s hydrogen. Don’t think of it as a natural resource like oil or gas — though hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, best known for its starring role in water (H20). Rather, many experts say that hydrogen is a crucial storage medium for the clean energy future. It is capable of being stored as a liquid or a gas and then burned or converted into electricity through a fuel cell — all without producing greenhouse gas emissions."

  8. Jane Goodall says we need hope to fight climate change — and her hope lies with youth (CBC) "'We really are in very dark times,' Goodall told The Current's host Matt Galloway. 'So many people feel helpless, hopeless, so they do nothing. They just carry on with business as usual. And that's why working with young people is so very important.' Goodall began the Roots and Shoots youth program in 1991 and it's growing fast, she says, having spread to more than 70 countries with more than 12,000 young people in Canada alone actively involved in projects addressing environmental problems within their own communities."

  9. How helping the Dutch resistance shaped Audrey Hepburn's philanthropy (Far Out Magazine) I am a big fan of Ms. Hepburn. "Audrey Hepburn is a name most of us associate with classic films and timeless style. But beneath the gentle demeanour and enchanting gaze that charmed audiences in movies like Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s lingered a harrowing past shaped amidst the brutalities of World War II. Before the bright lights of Hollywood beckoned, a young Hepburn was entwined in a covert rebellion, courageously engaging in secretive activities to resist the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands."

  10. Pixel Park gives Beltline residents new play options (CBC) CALGARY STORY #Cool "Beltline residents are being encouraged to put down their devices and try out a different kind of pixel. The ribbon was cut Friday morning on Pixel Park, the newest urban park in Calgary's downtown. Located at the site of the former Enoch Sales house, which burned down in 2019, the park offers several different play and relaxation options. It features a skateboarding area, an off-leash dog park, a basketball hoop and a pickleball court. There are also tables and chairs for those who just want to set up a board game or relax."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. How to Sleep Like an Elite Athlete (In Fitness And In Health) Spoiler alert, if you exercise, you need more sleep.

  2. The Corrosive Element in Our Lives (Personal Growth) Don't wait.

  3. The 4 questions you should stop asking during your one-on-one meetings (Signal v. Noise) These are some really great tips.

  4. Adulting 101: 10 Time Management Truths (Sara Troester) All great but #6 is a giant truth.

  5. Read These 4 Books To Know The Mental Models You Need To Know (Logan Rane) Any list that has Adam Grant's 'Think Again' is a likely a good list.

  6. How To Delegate Effectively: 5 Steps To Let Go of Control and Start Doing More (Better Programming) We all struggle. This is helpful.

  7. 20 habits of high-performing leadership teams (Jurriaan Kamer) Simple things. Done well.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Bannister family donates $1.5 million to new cancer therapy suite in Kelowna (Castanet) KELOWNA STORY "It’s the single largest donation to a new state-of-the-art systemic therapy suite at BC Cancer-Kelowna. The Bannister family, of Bannister Automotive Group, has given $1.5 million to the project, with the aim of advancing cancer research and care in the Interior. It will bring early phase clinical trials to Kelowna for the first time. 'Next week I’m going to my grandson’s first birthday. I would never have met him if it wasn’t for this treatment option. So yeah, clinical trials are important,' said Allan Wolfram, who told his story of being part of a clinical trial after being diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer."

  2. Kinsmen make $1 million donation to Cancer Foundation (My Lloydminster Now) SASKATCHEWAN STORY "The Kinsmen Foundation has donated $1 million to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan’s Breast Cancer Screening Bus campaign. This allows the Cancer Foundation to buy a new vehicle for its breast cancer screening for women across rural Saskatchewan. The gift was made possible following the annual TeleMiracle Telethon."

  3. $200+ Million Bequest Will Support Science Research For High Schoolers (Forbes) #PlannedGiving "Imagine a high school student whose passion for science is ignited during a summer program and goes on to become a groundbreaking scientist. That's the kind of transformational journey that the Summer Science Program (SSP) has been fostering for decades. To support this important work, 1969 program alumnus and a founder of Qualcomm — Franklin Antoni0 — donated $200 million in his will, Antonio passed away in May of 2022."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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.

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by ViTreo Group Inc. of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. ViTreo Group does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the ViTreo Group Inc. Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate.

Vincent DuckworthComment