Weekly News Recap: February 5, 2021

Weekly News Recap: February 5, 2021

Kyla Thomson with her daughter, Bella. (Isabella's Mustard Seed/Facebook)

Just do the thing, every single day. Whether you feel like it or not. Your only commitment is to the activity. Not to the grand scheme, not to the big picture, not to the implications of what you’re doing. It’s to do the thing. -- Elliott Hulse

SOME GOOD NEWS

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Captain Sir Tom Moore: 'National inspiration' dies with Covid-19 (BBC) RIP Captain Sir Tom. You inspired the world. We will not see your like again. "The 100-year-old, who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden, was admitted to Bedford Hospital [...]. Announcing his death, Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira said the last year of their father's life had been 'nothing short of remarkable.'"

  2. Alberta Business Hall of Fame inductees announced (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Congrats to all. "Four individuals will be inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame (Southern Alberta) in 2021 in recognition of their business achievements and philanthropic and community endeavours. Junior Achievement Southern Alberta — which runs the program — announced [...] that Ron Mannix, Ken Stephenson, Mike Tims and the late Sam Switzer have been selected as the latest inductees into the Hall of Fame."

  3. Alberta brings back scholarships commemorating Famous Five (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Well done. Glad to see this back in place. "The Alberta government has reinstated a previously cancelled scholarship created to honour a pivotal moment in the advancement of the rights of Canadian women."

  4. Canada's Filipino communities sent $1B to family and friends in the Philippines last year despite COVID-19 (CBC) CANADA STORY The amount of this funding is staggering. Not surprising really, but wow! "Every day, Joy Tajanlangit sees people come through the doors of her store, looking to send money to people they care for in the Philippines. 'They just received their salary; they won't even see it pass through their hands. Just go straight to our store and send it back to the Philippines,' said the owner of the Manila Convenience Store in Calgary."

  5. Province allocates $17M to stabilize performing arts, sports, rodeo sectors (CTV) ALBERTA STORY "The province announced it was allocating $17 million to help stabilize the performing arts, sports and rodeo sectors [...]. The Stabilize Program will provide one-time grant funding to help organizations in those sectors survive through the lockdowns of the pandemic, ensuring they will be able to reopen when it is declared safe to do so."

  6. Laurentian University files for creditor protection (CBC) LAURENTIAN STORY I hate to say this but they will likely not be the last. "Laurentian University has filed for creditor protection amid what its president calls 'unprecedented financial challenges.' Laurentian's financial health 'is currently amongst the weakest in the province compared to other universities,' Robert Haché, president and vice-chancellor."

  7. Offering COVID-19 Vaccinations to Major Donors, Board Members Ahead of Schedule is Unethical, Inequitable (AFP Global) Ugh, this is just gross. "“The idea of hospital systems, or any charity, ignoring protocols, guidance or restrictions—regardless of origin—and offering certain donors and board members the opportunity to ‘skip the line’ and receive vaccinations ahead of their scheduled time is unethical, inequitable and antithetical to the values of philanthropy and ethical fundraising."

  8. STARS air ambulance facing an uncertain financial future (RMO Today) WESTERN CANADA STORY Eeek! "The 10-year funding agreement between STARS air ambulance and Alberta Health Services expired in 2019. However, before a new one can be finalized, a provincial review of helicopter emergency medical services must be completed first."

  9. Edmonton's historic Hangar 11 may be saved from wrecking ball (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Yay! "Edmonton's World War II-era Hangar 11 may be saved from potential demolition, as city councillors took the first step [...] toward having a private company repurpose the building."

  10. STUDY: RETHINKING CULTURAL PHILANTHROPY IN MONTRÉAL (Orchestras Canada) MONTREAL STORY "A recent study on philanthropic culture in Montreal, published by the Conseil des arts de Montréal(CAM) and HEC Montréal, recommends that 'actively evolving relationships with those close to the organization’s art and mission can produce committed donors and board members.'"

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. 22 hobbies of highly successful people (Business Insider) I need to spend more time on my hobbies. What about you?

  2. 4 Cookbooks for the Pandemic (Heated) I am not tired of cooking but cookbooks are more important than ever.

  3. An Oral History of Wikipedia, the Web’s Encyclopedia (OneZero) I love Wikipedia. It has its problems but I can't imagine the Internet without it.

  4. 5 Quotes That Forced Me to Live a More Meaningful Life (The Ascent) I love great quotes too!

  5. 4 Eerie Historical Practices That Were Once Considered Normal (Lessons From History) OMG. That is all.

  6. How To Induce Lucid Dreams That Heal (Better Humans) This is a fascinating concept. I am going to give it a try.

  7. CROSS COUNTRY SKIING THE NORDIC LOOP IN EAST VILLAGE (Travel With The Smile) CALGARY STORY So cool. No pun intended.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Oxford University to open antimicrobial research centre after £100m donation from Ineos (Chemistry World) "A new institute for antimicrobial research will open at the University of Oxford, UK, following a major donation by one of the world’s largest chemical companies."

  2. $2 million gift allows Colorado Symphony to keep paying employees amid pandemic (NBC) This is awesome! "An anonymous gift of $2 million will allow the Colorado Symphony to pay its musicians and staff well into 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic puts a damper on live performances. The donation, received in late December, will cover employees' salaries and healthcare benefits through [June]."

  3. The Royal receives $1.5M anonymous donation for mental health research (The Royal) OTTAWA STORY "A transformational gift of $1.5M from anonymous donors through their fund at the Ottawa Community Foundation will help three key research initiatives at The Royal’s Institute for Mental Health Research (IMHR) make profound advancements to improve mental health."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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