Weekly News Recap: March 18, 2022

Weekly News Recap: March 18, 2022

Members of the House of Commons and Senate listen as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the Canadian Parliament on March 15, 2022. (Patrick Doyle/Reuters)

War settles nothing. -- Dwight D Eisenhower

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Violinists around the world play alongside Ukrainian in a bomb shelter (CBC) This is lovely. Sad but lovely. "Nearly 100 violinists from around the world, including Canada, played alongside a Ukrainian man huddled in a basement shelter as Russian forces bombard his country. Illia Bondarenko, 20, recorded himself playing a Ukrainian folk song and posted it on Instagram, asking for others to join in support of his people."

  • Innovative atlas puts Indigenous knowledge on the map — literally — to help tackle climate crisis (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #TresCool "The Indigenous Knowledges component of the Climate Atlas of Canada, launched today, is the culmination of years of work by Hetxw'ms Gyetxw and the team at the University of Winnipeg's Prairie Climate Centre, in collaboration with Indigenous communities across the country."

  • Artisan hopes ribbon skirt dolls teach Indigenous girls 'their bodies are sacred, they're not to be abused' (CBC) EDMONTON STORY They are beautiful and an important teaching tool. "Boucher, a member of the Indigenous Artist Market (I.A.M.) Collective and owner of TB Crafting, started making dolls dressed in handmade ribbon skirts — an important piece of clothing in some Indigenous cultures — last November. Ribbon skirts must be long enough that they can connect with the grass — a symbol of Mother Earth's hair, she said. When a person wearing a ribbon skirt walks along the earth, it touches the hairs of Mother Earth, letting her know 'we are women and we are there.' The ribbon skirt teaches Indigenous girls and two-spirited kids that 'they are very precious and sacred,' Boucher said, and she hopes her dolls can help impart that message."

  • Mi'kmaw carver gives traditional wooden masks new life with giant snow sculptures (CBC) NEW BRUNSWICK STORY "The Mi'kmaw teachings of the four directions have been brought to larger-than-life proportions by an artist in New Brunswick who has created giant snow sculptures representing traditional hand-carved wooden masks. Gordon Sparks, who is from Pabineau First Nation, N.B., is one of the few practising Mi'kmaw wooden mask-makers, and hopes the sculptures will help foster the resurgence of the cultural practice. Standing eight feet tall at the powwow grounds in Listuguj, on the Quebec-New Brunswick border, each sculpture represents the four directions — north, east, south, and west — and their accompanying Mi'kmaw teachings."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Parliament gave Zelensky a hero's welcome. He gave us something else: a cold dose of reality (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Very sobering. "This was not Winston Churchill addressing Parliament in 1942 and mocking those who had predicted his country's defeat. Instead of swagger and soaring rhetoric, Zelensky sought to personalize the war — to shrink the distance between his war-torn country and the relative safety of his audience. Zelensky asked Canadians to 'imagine' their own country being attacked." RELATED: WATCH | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses Parliament.

  2. Alberta government announces $1 million to support women studying in STEM fields (Edmonton Journal) ALBERTA STORY A gift to us all. Nice work everyone. "The cash will go to bursary programs at NorQuest College and Yellowhead Tribal College in Edmonton and at Bow Valley College in Calgary to help address financial barriers for women pursuing post-secondary studies. Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer said at an announcement marking International Women’s Day Tuesday the programs will help boost economic growth by ensuring women have a better chance to enter high-paying jobs."

  3. U of C public policy school apologizes over event invite wording (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY "Earlier this week, the policy school released an invitation to the event scheduled for March 31 titled 'Is Canada in Peril? The Forces Tearing Canadian Citizenship Apart,' where Peter MacKinnon was set to discuss his latest book. The invitation posed a number of questions on the topic, including 'Will Canada’s Aboriginal problem ever find resolution?'"

  4. Drumheller's bargain prices, slower pace, entrepreneurial spirit draw influx of new residents (CBC) DRUMHELLER STORY Drumheller is amazing. And the people who live and work there know it. "Canadians no longer consider Drumheller, Alta., just a summer holiday destination for exploring dinosaur fossils and the hoodoos. In recent years, people across Canada dealing with rising house prices, pandemic-induced existential crises or transformative 'work from anywhere' capabilities, have been eyeing the tourist town's potential as a permanent home. As a result, house sales are up and vacancy rates are down. And some say the town's become more lively — even eclectic."

  5. New funding for Alberta charter school expansion irks public education advocates (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Alberta's premier says he wants to see a 'flowering' of new charter schools across the province after loosening the rules for their creation. Jason Kenney said he doesn't have a target number of charter schools in mind, but he wants to make it easier to meet parent demand."

  6. Canada's inflation rate now at 30-year high of 5.7% (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Yep. I can feel it. We all can feel it. "Canada's inflation rate rose to a new multi-decade high of 5.7 per cent last month, as the price of everything from gasoline to groceries to shelter rose swiftly. Statistics Canada reported [...] that the inflation rate was the highest it's been since August of 1991. It's up from January's level of 5.1 per cent, and even higher than the 5.5. per cent that economists polled by Bloomberg were expecting."

  7. Parks Foundation fundraising for Calgary overlook named after founding director (LiveWire) CALGARY STORY A very fitting tribute. Nice work Parks Foundation. "A little over $190,000 is all that stands between the Parks Foundation and its goal of creating the Terry Hawitt Vista. Named after the founding director of the foundation, this vista will provide a scenic overlook of Sandy Beach Park and some of the most picturesque cliff faces along the Elbow River. The Parks Foundation unveiled the plans for the vista at a fundraiser held to celebrate Terry Hawitt. Hawitt died in 2021 at the age of 91."

  8. Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected (Pew Research Center) "A new Pew Research Center survey finds that low pay, a lack of opportunities for advancement and feeling disrespected at work are the top reasons why Americans quit their jobs last year. The survey also finds that those who quit and are now employed elsewhere are more likely than not to say their current job has better pay, more opportunities for advancement and more work-life balance and flexibility."

  9. Knowledge Infrastructure Project to Create New Understanding About Canada’s Charitable Sector (Carleton University) OTTAWA STORY #Finally We have a knowledge project focused on our charitable sector. "Through weekly surveys, the Charity Insights Canada Project—Projet Canada Perspectives des Organismes de Bienfaisance (CICP-PCPOB) will collect and share accurate, relevant, and timely information about the Canadian charitable sector. The data generated through this work will support the long-term economic viability, impact, and resiliency of the sector by assisting policymakers in making evidence-based policy decisions, developing data capacity for practitioners, and expanding knowledge of Canada’s charitable sector for all stakeholders, including the general public."

  10. Russian oligarchs have donated millions to U.S. charities, museums and universities, analysis shows (Washington Post) "American philanthropies, museums and universities have accepted millions of dollars from tycoons aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including several who are the targets of Western sanctions, according to an analysis by anti-corruption researchers."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. 5 Indicators for Identifying the Best Potential Donors (Bloomerang) The top two? Previous donors to your cause and donors who give to other non-profits.

  2. Exercise works, but see how changing your diet can add 10 years to your life (The Print) No real surprises but the table of what to eat is comprehensive. Do you want to live longer?

  3. Prospect Research Analytics in Three Acts (Helen Brown Group) A cool inside conversation about prospect research. Enjoy.

  4. 7 Amazing Websites Every Book Lover Will Swear By (Books Are Our Superpower) All are great but #1 and #3 are the bomb.

  5. Strength Training and Sleep (BeingWell) Do want good sleep or better sleep? Read on.

  6. Ditch the Digital Notes: Handwriting Is Way Better for Memorization and Speed (Fast Company) I write by hand and store digitally. My recall is much better with hand-written.

  7. Your Notes are Incomplete without this (New Writers Welcome) It is harder to do with handwritten notes but it is certainly possible and it is clearly helpful.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Keep the Fight in Flight: Mosaic makes $2.5M donation to STARS (CKOM) SASKATCHEWAN STORY Nice work Mosaic. "The revamping of the STARS fleet of helicopters got a lift from The Mosaic Company on Wednesday. Mosaic announced a $2.5-million donation to the Keep the Fight in Flight campaign, which was launched in 2018. The campaign will see STARS refurbish its fleet with Airbus H145 helicopters, which cost $13 million each. The donation announced Wednesday will help fund three of the new aircraft."

  2. Lululemon founder Chip Wilson donates $100M to find cure for his illness, 30 years after diagnosis (Global News) VANCOUVER STORY #Boom "A well-known Vancouver billionaire is opening up about his health issues more than 30 years after his diagnosis. Lululemon founder and entrepreneur Chip Wilson said he was 32 years old when he was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 2."

  3. Real Madrid to make one million euros donation in Ukraine aid (Managing Madrid) "Real Madrid is reportedly set to make a donation of one million euros to Ukraine aid [...] The club is reportedly donating the large sum to the “Everyone with Ukraine” campaign as part of the Real Madrid Foundation fund which was launched last week. The fund works with existing programs, including Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to help those on the ground in Ukraine."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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