Weekly News Recap: April 5, 2024

Weekly News Recap: April 5, 2024

Haida Gwaii is made up of more than 150 islands, located about 90 kilometres west of British Columbia's north coast. A draft agreement between the Haida Nation and the British Columbia government recognizes Haida title over all of Haida Gwaii. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there. ― Mother Teresa

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • VIDEO: Sask. singer awarded golden buzzer — and $25K — at Canada's Got Talent (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY What a voice! "A Denesuline singer from Prince Albert is off to the next round of Canada's Got Talent after receiving the golden buzzer from one of the judges. [Rebecca] Strong belted out a cover of Demi Lovato's Stone Cold, bringing audience members to their feet and winning high praise from the judges."

  • Hot Wheels Makes Miniature Car Designed for Autistic Children (Auto 1 2 3) This is AWESOME! Thanks to ViTreo Associate, Kathy Bhana, for sharing this. "Developed in collaboration with the ASAN (Autistic Self Advocacy Network), [Hot Wheels'] latest miniature car has been designed with autistic children in mind. Named Flippin Fast, it can roll both right side up and upside down. The car benefits from inverted symmetry, so that when you turn it upside down, the rear spoiler serves as the front diffuser, and vice versa. It features large wheels that suspend the body at its middle."

  • Hero the dog lives up to his name and leads rescuers to owner who spent 2 days in a ditch (CBC) TABER STORY #CanineHero "A 61-year-old man in the southern Alberta town of Taber trapped in a muddy ditch for two days could have been there a lot longer if it wasn't for his dog — an Akita named Hero."

  • B.C. government affirms Haida Nation title over all of Haida Gwaii in draft agreement (CBC) HAIDA GWAII STORY This is a big deal and one that BC should be very proud to have authored. "British Columbia has officially recognized the Haida Nation's Aboriginal title over the islands of Haida Gwaii with a draft agreement that has been 50 years in the making. The Gaayhllxid/Gíihlagalgang 'Rising Tide' Haida Title Lands Agreement officially recognizes and affirms the nation's right over the land of Haida Gwaii under Section 35 of the Constitution — which affirms the rights of Indigenous people."

  • VIDEO: B.C. woman expresses gratitude to neurosurgeon at Kelowna hospital (CBC) KELOWNA STORY #GratefulPatient "Erica Stavinga recently underwent emergency brain surgery. She later wrote to CBC with gratitude for her medical team at Kelowna General Hospital. BC Today's Michelle Eliot spoke to Stavinga about her experience and surprised her with her surgeon, Dr. Michael Tso, on air."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Fans are flocking to bars that show only women's sports on their TVs (NBC) I love this trend. There is a bar in Portland (The Sports Bra) that has been doing this for a long time. "Long lines are expected this week outside A Bar of Their Own, where the 12 televisions will be screening March Madness. Only women's March Madness. And when the NCAA women's basketball tournament isn't monopolizing the airwaves, the bar's TVs will blast women's NCAA softball, women's professional hockey and women's Olympic qualifiers, among many other sports."

  2. 'The land of nobody': Calgary researchers study gaps in mental health services for international students (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "As former international students themselves, researchers Shamsa Mistry and Monica Sesma Vazquez know exactly how challenging it is to move to Canada for an education. But the University of Calgary research coordinator — and the social work assistant professor — both say there's a gap in research among international students in the country, despite Canada hosting more than one million international students. "

  3. VIDEO: Joe Flaherty, comedian known for work on SCTV and Freaks and Geeks, dead at 82 (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Farewell to the 'Godfather' of SCTV. RIP Mr. Flaherty, we will not see your like again. "Joe Flaherty, the comedian and writer known for his roles on shows like Freaks and Geeks and SCTV, has died. He was 82."

  4. Google launched Gmail 20 years ago. Many thought it was an April Fools' prank (PBS) Happy Birthday Google! "When Google launched Gmail 20 years ago [...], many people thought the whole thing was an April Fools' Day prank. Google advertised a whole gigabyte of email storage. That was a huge amount of space back then [...]. Today, the email platform is no joke. It has well over a billion users."

  5. Why giving circles are the fastest-growing form of philanthropy right now (Axios) "The fastest-growing form of philanthropy in America is collective giving — where individuals, usually women, pool their funds and their decision-making. Why it matters: This kind of structured giving provides a glimpse of what a democratic, egalitarian philanthropy looks like. The big picture: A detailed new report from Philanthropy Together, based on extensive interviews, focus groups, and surveys, finds that the philanthropy practiced by giving circles is very different from the top-down practices of foundations funded by billionaires."

  6. Magic mushrooms: A new frontier in diabetes treatment? (PsyPost) As a diabetic, I am very interested. No, really! "Scientists have started to investigate whether a compound found in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, could play a role in combating the effects of diabetes. According to their preliminary research, published in the journal Genes, psilocybin might help prevent the loss of critical insulin-producing cells in the pancreas."

  7. Killer whale rescue team continues efforts to coax calf to ocean (CBC) VANCOUVER ISLAND STORY I hope this youngster can move on. "Six days of efforts to entice a two-year-old orca calf out of the lagoon and back to the ocean following the death of its mother last weekend have included the use of recorded killer whale calls, specialized directional guide lines and the pounding of Indigenous drum beats, but with no success."

  8. What Japanese moviegoers have to say about Oppenheimer as it debuts on Hiroshima, Nagasaki screens (CBC) "Oppenheimer finally premiered [...] in the nation where two cities were obliterated 79 years ago by the nuclear weapons invented by the American scientist who was the subject of the Oscar-winning film. The reviews of Japanese filmgoers who spoke to reporters were understandably mixed and highly emotional. The film's release in Japan, more than eight months after it opened in the U.S., had been watched with trepidation because of the sensitivity of the subject matter. "

  9. Col Cseke (Calgary Arts Development) CALGARY STORY At ViTreo, we have been blessed to work with Col and his colleagues and I have had the joy of watching him perform as an actor. Congrats Col, so glad CADA is sharing your story. "Col Cseke is many things to the Calgary arts community. A community organizer, playwright, director, storyteller and the artistic and executive director of Inside Out Theatre, a Deaf/disabled and mad theatre company. Since moving here years ago as a recent grad from the University of Lethbridge, Cseke has found his artistic home, his lifelong people, and his purpose — bringing people together and bringing awareness and activism into the arts sector."

  10. VIDEO: Impact of the biggest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years (BBC) This is a terrifying video. Our hearts go to the families of those who were killed and injured. "Eyewitness video shows the extensive damage caused by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan. Some buildings in Hualien, near the quake’s epicentre, were left leaning at a 45 degree angle. The tremors also triggered landslides, shrouding nearby villages in dust. Rescue efforts are ongoing and at least nine people have been confirmed dead. The earthquake is the strongest recorded in Taiwan in 25 years."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. Strategy is not Planning. (Jim McAuliffe) A great reminder about an important distinction.

  2. 4 Tactics You Can Learn From Consultants to Be Perceived as More Competent (Publishous) Some solid advice here.

  3. The power of beauty in communicating complex ideas (UX Design) Ideas gain so much when we couple them with beauty.

  4. A Very Gentle Introduction to Large Language Models without the Hype (Mark Ride) Note, this is a 38 minute deep dive. Worth it but grab a pot of tea. (Or, ask ChatGBT to tell you a story about tea.)

  5. 3 Key Steps You Can’t Miss to Make Your Meetings Productive (Nova. Blog.) A succinct and useful reminder of how to make our meetings better.

  6. Know Yourself, Sew Yourself (DIY Diaries) I would love to learn how to sew. Until then, I can enjoy crafting vicariously with stories like this.

  7. Declassified: The Creativity of the US Military and the Lessons Leaders Can Learn (Work City) I have found military life, my own, and hearing about others, to be very creative.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Thunder Bay Art Gallery receives large donation (99.9 The Bay) THUNDER BAY STORY "The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has received a large donation to assist in the construction of its waterfront art gallery. The Paterson Foundation has donated an additional $1,000,000 towards the construction. These funds bring the foundation’s contribution towards the waterfront location up to a total of $1,250,000."

  2. Portland State University gets $10 million donation from real estate developer Jordan Schnitzer (NBC) "Portland real estate developer Jordan Schnitzer made a $10 million dollar donation to Portland State University. The gift will be used to sustain the free on-campus art museum that bears his name and help build a new home for the university’s art and design school."

  3. Local philanthropists Martin and Denise Pick donate $1 million to Peterborough Regional Health Care Foundation (Kawartha Now) PETERBOROUGH STORY "Local philanthropists Martin and Denise Pick have made another donation to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation — this time a $1 million donation the regional hospital has invested in minimally invasive surgical tools and state-of-the-art diagnostic technology."

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.

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