Weekly News Recap: May 20, 2022

New Vision Development (NVD) donates $1M to YukonU; challenges business community to raise further $3M. Photo: YukonU

Reconciliation is more beautiful than victory. -- Violeta Chamorro

SOME GOOD NEWS

87-year-old pilot ends elite flying career with cross-country flight to N.B. (CBC) NEW BRUNSWICK STORY #CoolKnowsNoAge "'Nobody's flown that low at this airport in 20 years.' That quip came from a Miramichi-Chatham Airport employee about 87-year-old George Miller's visit in his 1940s-era Ryan Navion. Roaring by the eastern New Brunswick airport under a blazing sun, the Navion's unpainted silver fuselage reflected so much sunlight it stung the eyes. The plane has a 1950s sci-fi movie spaceship vibe, from back when the future was made of chrome."
Young cancer survivor creates special dolls to bring sick kids comfort (CBC) EDMONTON STORY #BraveSweetKid "When nine-year old Cecily Eklund was fighting cancer, she wasn’t allowed to bring her beloved doll to treatments. That’s why Cecily and her mom are now making MRI-friendly dolls to help other kids feel safe."
Inspired by daughter, architect approaches accessibility as a 'lifestyle' (CBC) SASKATOON STORY "Megen Olfert smiles thinking about the backyard treehouse her father designed for her when she was a kid. It was wide enough for a motorised wheelchair to maneuver inside, and a cement path wound its way through the backyard up to the treehouse instead of stairs or a ladder. 'I felt like I was on equal ground as a kid," said Megen, recalling friends coming over to hang out, 'because sometimes when you're disabled it means you have to do things differently even though you can do the same thing. It made me feel included.'"
Atypical: Art exhibition explores being neurodivergent (Calgary Journal) CALGARY STORY #SuperCool "A Calgary artist diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) as a child is set to showcase her ability to create energetic and abstract work in a new exhibition. Atypical shows how Mary-Jo Lough navigates the world as a neurodivergent individual and the ways ADHD gives her many 'superpowers,' like the ability to make busy yet organized patterns in her art."
Senior Dog Helps Older Animals Get Adopted and Pet Nonprofit Reach its $8 Million Donation Goal (People) #ILoveThis "Skechers is celebrating a major animal rescue moment. On May 12, Skechers announced in a release that its philanthropic BOBS from Skechers collection has donated over $8 million to animal rescue work since its launch. For every BOBS from Skechers item purchased in the United States and Canada, a donation is made to animal welfare nonprofit Petco Love and its 4,000 rescue partners across North America. Those donations have gone on to help more than 1.5 million rescue pets."
Their father had been a ballet dancer — and for 45 years, no one knew (CBC) BANFF STORY #LivesLived "In 2018, artist Jamie Ross was headed for a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. On the way from Montreal to Alberta, Ross stopped to visit their father in Toronto. During that visit, Ross' father David, whom Ross describes as having been a 'stiff, geeky accountant my whole life,' disclosed two secrets that he had kept for almost 45 years. David had been to Banff himself, he revealed — not just as a visitor, but as an artist. In 1973, he attended a residency hosted by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, as a ballet dancer."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

Calgary Reads will be dissolved this fall, but its story will live on (CBC) CALGARY STORY #Ugh but also #Brave "Calgary Reads just wrapped its most successful Big Book Sale ever this past weekend — with just under $475,000 raised — but the momentous news comes with a bittersweet announcement: the local non-profit will be dissolved this fall."
Fans can now watch the Battle of Alberta at a giant dome theatre in Calgary (Daily Hive) ALBERTA STORY I am a longtime Oilers fan but I am also a Flames booster so I am very interested in seeing who will go on to represent. "As Flames fever sweeps Calgary, TELUS Spark Science Centre is opening up its Infinity Dome theatre for hockey fans to catch the Battle of Alberta action on the big screen. Starting on Wednesday, May 18, you can head to the science centre’s dome theatre for a super-sized viewing experience as the Calgary Flames take on the Edmonton Oilers in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs."
Jason Kenney's capitulation as UCP leader is a catalyst for more chaos in Alberta politics (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Alberta Premier Jason Kenney fell on his own sword rather than be repeatedly stabbed in the back for the next year. Actually, it's not clear if Kenney voluntarily exited the top position or was pushed by senior members of the United Conservative Party who wanted the endless infighting over his leadership to stop."
Fred Sasakamoose statue unveiled at SaskTel Centre (CBC) SASKATOON STORY #NiceMove "A new statue of Fred Sasakamoose, placed facing Gordie Howe's, was unveiled in front of SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon on Wednesday morning. When Saskamoose suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1950s, he was the first treaty Indigenous player in the NHL."
U.S. Soccer and Top Players Agree to Guarantee Equal Pay (New York Times) About time. Well done. "As the women’s soccer stars stared at their laptop screens Monday night and the new labor deal was explained to them, the numbers just kept climbing. A few thousand dollars here. Tens of thousands of dollars there. Pretty soon, the figures had crossed into the millions."
Yukon University welcomes 1st president since transition from college (CBC) YUKON STORY ViTreo is proud to be supporting YukonU and recently spent four days in Whitehorse alongside Canada's newest university. Congrats to Dr. Brown and to all Northerners. "Yukon University celebrated its first presidential installation since it transitioned from being a college two years ago. The ceremony took place at the Kwänlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse [...] when Lesley Brown officially became the first Yukon University president and vice-chancellor and the institution's eighth president. Yukon College, now Canada's only university north of the 60th parallel, officially became a degree-granting university in the spring of 2020."
Fertility perks are key benefit companies can offer in tight labour market, advocates say (CBC) CANADIAN STORY A bold, new, and smart move by some of Canada's companies. "When Shirley Manh and Jason Blechta decided they wanted to start having kids, they didn't expect it would take so long and cost so much. 'We never imagined it would cost anything to conceive a child,' said Manh, 38. The Ottawa couple estimate they've spent $20,000 on fertility treatments over the past year and a half, and they plan to keep trying for as long as it takes. Luckily, Manh's fertility medication is covered under both of their workplace drug plans, but the costly procedures aren't."
Alberta girl soars in winning performance at one of world's biggest powwows (CBC) ALBERTA STORY You go girl! "Demi Potts swings her arms, pink shawl sweeping the air and feet flying in time with the fast-paced beat of the drum during her performance of the fancy shawl dance at one of the largest powwows in the world. 'Like my mom always said, just fly around like you're a butterfly,' said the 12-year-old Potts, a member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation from Whitecourt, Alta., about 180 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The advice is particularly well-suited to a dance that represents the opening of a cocoon when a butterfly emerges."
To end violence against women, Canada needs to focus on men (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY "During a medical appointment in 2021, a nurse caught wind of an intense argument between Steve and his wife, who’d accompanied him to the local health clinic. The nurse gave him a business card for a social worker through Alberta Health Services, suggesting he give her a call. When another fight at home a week or two later turned physical, with Steve shoving his wife against a wall, he got in touch. The social worker referred him that same day to Rowan House in High River, Alta., where a pilot shelter had recently been launched specifically for abusive men."
Royal B.C. Museum to be rebuilt at the cost of $789M (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "The Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria is getting a $789-million rebuild that will take over seven years to complete. The provincial landmark is set to close in September of this year, with the new facility scheduled to open its doors at the same location in 2030.

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

What Is Polyphasic Sleep And Should You Try It? (In Fitness And In Health) I am thinking of trying this. Shorter nighttime sleeps with naps during the day.
A Stanford Study Reveals the Perfect Number of Hours You Should Work Every Week (Wholistique) Tim Ferriss is not far off. We can all use a four-hour work week. But only if we focus.
17 Hidden Google Tricks 99% of People Haven’t Seen Yet (Better Humans) The best: a self-destructing email.
Canonical Everything (Naomi Gleit) One document to rule them all.
10 Books that Can Revolutionize Your Ability to Achieve Goals (The Startup) All amazing but #6 is one I am looking at hard.
These 7 websites can come in really handy (Illumination) Visit early. Visit often.
Interior designers share 6 of the best and 4 of the worst ways to use extra space in your home (Insider) Easy and smart tips to make your space so much better.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

Airbnb chief donates $100m to Obama scholarship fund (The Guardian) #Nice "The co-founder and chief executive of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, has donated $100m to Barack Obama’s foundation to fund scholarships for students pursuing careers in public service, with the awards including multiple stipends for travel."
NVD donates $1M to YukonU; challenges business community to raise further $3M (YukonU) YUKON STORY Congrats to all. "Northern Vision Development (NVD) donated $1 million to Yukon University today and issued a challenge to Yukoners to raise a further $3 million to support students in their education goals."
Samford University receives largest single donor gift in Alabama history (NBC) "Samford University on Thursday announced it has received a $100 million donation from the estate of Marvin Mann, marking the largest gift to a higher education institution from a single donor in the history of the state of Alabama."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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Vincent DuckworthMay 20, 2022Comment