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Weekly News Recap: February 26, 2021

Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: February 26, 2020

The Calgary YMCA cites rising costs, financial pressures and a diminishing membership base as reasons for closing the Eau Claire facility, which is more than 30 years old. (Helen Pike/CBC)

And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about. -- Haruki Murakami

Trico Social EnterPrize

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • The joy of vax: The people giving the shots are seeing hope, and it’s contagious (Washington Post) This is a beautiful uplifting story. And we need more of these. Thanks to Kara Exner for sharing this article. "The happiest place in medicine right now is a basketball arena in New Mexico. Or maybe it’s the parking lot of a baseball stadium in Los Angeles, or a Six Flags in Maryland, or a shopping mall in South Dakota. The happiest place in medicine is anywhere there is vaccine, and the happiest people in medicine are the ones plunging it into the arms of strangers. 'It’s a joy to all of us,' says Akosua 'Nana' Poku, a Kaiser Permanente nurse vaccinating people in Northern Virginia."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Decision to close 'unsustainable' Eau Claire Y was tough, says head of YMCA Calgary (CBC) CALGARY STORY Tough decisions #Leadership "The permanent shutdown of the YMCA in Eau Claire has shaken members, with some saying it was their second home and more than a recreational centre. YMCA Calgary announced on its website [last week] that the organization had decided to close the Gray Family Eau Claire YMCA." RELATED: Closure of Gray Family Eau Claire YMCA leaves bigger concerns about Calgary’s downtown
  1. How this Nigerian overcame a tough childhood to become first Black woman pediatric surgeon practicing in Canada (Face2Face Africa) "People who draw on their own experiences to make the world a better place for others are invaluable and Dr. Oluwatomilayo (Tito) Daodu is a poster girl for such people. She had a rough childhood and as the first Black female pediatric surgeon practicing in Canada at the Alberta’s Children’s Hospital Foundation, she wants to make surgical care accessible to all."
  1. Calgary commits $2.5M to upgrades at old Scouts building for disability arts group (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Nice move Calgary. "A community arts organization for Calgarians with disabilities will finally get a new home, more than three years after the roof at their previous building collapsed."
  1. Black History Month: 3 Black Calgarians who changed the city's history (CBC) CALGARY STORY "February is Black History Month, and we recognize it by celebrating the contributions that Black Canadians have made to Canada's history and culture."
  1. Will Covid mean the end of the road for fundraising directors? (NFP Synergy) Is it time for an income-generation director? Thanks to Mick Mulloy for sharing this article. "Many charities have seen their fundraising income plunge during the pandemic, especially those dependent on events, community activities, or anything to do with cash. The effects/stress on services and staff have been dramatic, and sadly, many charities have made many people redundant (or will do when furlough ends)."
  1. NEW STUDY: ONGOING IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS ON THE CHARITABLE SECTOR (Imagine Canada) Thanks to Andrea McManus for sharing this article. #Sobering "While most charities have been able to adapt and innovate to continue to offer services and programs to their communities since the onset of the pandemic, the situation remains challenging. For the vast majority of organizations, the constraints and uncertainty of the pandemic, paired with social distancing mandates, are driving significant shifts to organizational priorities."
  1. Queering Zoom: students and educators say online learning must be more inclusive (Gateway) EDMONTON STORY #Bingo Nice move UofA "As conversations about accessibility in online learning have moved forward at the University of Alberta, ways to make Zoom more inclusive for all students are also top of the docket. Transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming students and educators have highlighted how virtual learning can be made more inclusive and intentional. One of the ways they say this can be accomplished is through the normalization of pronoun disclosure and use, both during the first class when introductions are made, and in an ongoing way, through Zoom names."
  1. Farmers chuckled when doctors bought this rural land for a racetrack — but they aren't laughing now (CBC) ALBERTA STORY I remember this well. It is close to Rosebud Alberta. "When a group of seven doctors bought a parcel of land in a remote river valley in Alberta more than 15 years ago to build a racetrack, farmers in the area could only chuckle in disbelief. They found it impossible to imagine race cars skidding around multiple tracks on a plot of land in their secluded part of the Prairies, which rarely attracts visitors on the gravel roads that wind through the deep valley. What may have seemed like a farfetched idea at the time is now much closer to reality, as those doctors hope to break ground on the $500-million racing resort this summer."
  1. Don't Tell Me The Isolating Struggle Of Online Learning's Worth A Full University Tuition (Huffington Post) Sadly, this is the case for thousands of current students. "I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed and put on a pair of sweatpants to attend my first lecture of the semester, which took place on my clutter-filled desk about four feet from the edge of my bed. I opened Zoom only to be greeted by 40 blank screens with the names of other sociology students who had their cameras turned off, and a professor who unenthusiastically recited notes from his slides. I spent half the class trying to stay awake, and the other half resisting the pull of my Instagram feed. When the lecture ended, I stared at the blank computer screen. I felt completely isolated."
  1. Laurentian U. researchers left in dark after funding disappears (CBC) SUDBURY STORY Ugh. "A Laurentian Ph.D. student says he hasn't heard anything from the university after finding out his research funding has disappeared. Adam Kirkwood, who was collaborating with researchers in southern Ontario, says he was sending permafrost samples to coworkers when payment was declined. This was just days after the university publicly said it was seeking creditor protection."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Soothing, Digital Rooms of YouTube (New York Times) Very peaceful. And in these times, welcome.
  1. Yeti is bringing its indestructible product savvy to luggage—and the results are beautiful (Fast Company) *These are the bomb. Check them out.
  1. The Pudding Cup (The Pudding) These are brilliant visualizations. They make complex data come alive. My favourites are the Ben and Jerry's one and the Death Toll of Policing. Thanks to Christine Fraser for sharing this article.
  1. How to Overcome Your Phone Addiction With Mindfulness (Better Humans) I recorded a podcast yesterday with two amazing, inspiring, and thoughtful millennials -- this came up. They are way ahead of the curve on this.
  1. How I Did More By Doing Less (Michael Kana, PhD) I am a big fan of less is more.
  1. 6 Core Exercises Everyone Should Be Doing Every Day (Joxen) But it hurts. So. Much. (Okay, fine, I will do them).
  1. These are the world’s most sustainable fonts (Fast Company) Huh. Whooda thought. Makes sense.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Canadian Tire upping the commitment to their Jumpstart Charities’ Sport Relief Fund (The Suburban) CANADIAN STORY Thank you Canadian Tire. This is brilliant. "As the COVID-19 pandemic reaches its first year, Canadian Tire has committed an additional $12 million to Jumpstart Charities’ Sport Relief Fund to further help Canadian amateur sport organizations survive in the wake of COVID-19. The pandemic’s devastating impact means sport and play in Canada have never been more vital or at risk. In September of 2020, Jumpstart Charities disbursed $8 million through its Sport Relief Fund in initial aid that went to help over 700 clubs nationwide. This infusion of $12 million will help even more organizations continue to operate this year."
  1. SALEM STATE RECEIVES $6 MILLION DONATION TO HELP SENIORS REACH GRADUATION (Itemlive.com) "A $6 million gift from Salem State University alumna Kim Gassett-Schiller and her husband, Philip Schiller, will be used to assist seniors in overcoming their final financial hurtle before graduation."
  1. High Desert Museum receives $6 million donation from Roundhouse Foundation (Bend Bullentin) *"The Sisters-based Roundhouse Foundation is donating $6 million to the High Desert [Museum]."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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