Weekly News Recap: May 3, 2019

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, flanked by his cabinet, speaks after being sworn into office in Edmonton on Tuesday. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

Empathy is one of the main motivators for moral action. -- Paul Bloom)

Message from Vincent: I love to curate. Ideas, stories, inspirations, sorrows, and controversies. I have been doing this labour of love for more than three years. And, yes, I plan on continuing to do it until you ask me to stop.

Recently, I was respectfully challenged by a few of our team members as to whether the frequency, length and choice of articles needed to be looked at. I took that request seriously and we reached out to you, our recap subscribers. The great majority of those that responded did not want the frequency changed (it is weekly and no, we are not changing it). It was pretty evenly split as to whether the recap was skimmed, occasionally delated without reading, or read in its entirety. There were some suggestions around trying to make it a wee bit shorter. We have tried. Oh, have we tried. I changed the curation "rules" and have limited the life and career hacks to seven per recap.

Despite this, there are weeks when the news (just the news!) seems unending. News is a tricky bit in curation. It has a shelf life. As do large gifts. Trends, hacks, and a few other areas have more latitude in terms of when we might share them with you. All this to say that, with the recent Alberta election, convocation season with our universities, and a few other stories of note, the "news" section is significantly long for this edition. I have divided the stories in subsections but even then. Whew! My advice to you, if you feel overwhelmed, do what I do when I am in curation mode. Skim like crazy, open a few that intrigue or interest you, and move on.

In closing, I am making a small addition to the recap beginning this week. Specifically, this front portion. I am going to highlight some of the most important themes and stories from this week's recap. That way, hopefully, you will be able to quickly identify if you need to delve in or not (trust me, my feelings are not hurt.). So, here goes:

Highlights of this week's recap

  • The University of Alberta announced their slate of honorary degree recipients for this spring. All of them are awesome.
  • Alberta has a new government, the UCP. They are in the early days of their mandate so there are moves afoot. I would jump to the cabinet posts.
  • The University of Calgary raised $1 million on their Annual Giving Day. I am not kidding!
  • CKUA needs our help, Instagram now has a donation button, Geddy Lee is coming to the National Music Centre (OMG), Pope Francis is giving $500K to Mexican migrants, and a young British girl is melting our hearts with her gift to Notre Dame.
  • An Indigenous teacher in Saskatchewan is changing the world, Lakeland College is teaching us how to speak Cree, and Engineering at the University of Calgary is launching an Indigenous engineering chair (how cool is that!).
  • 1,800 pages of stewardship and impact reports are online for the viewing in life and career hacks (yes, I said 1,800 pages -- WOW!).
  • A black hole is spinning so fast it is warping space time.
  • Bill and Melinda Gates are trying as hard as they can to give away most of their money -- but they keep getting richer...
  • More sad tales from the U.S. admission scandal.
  • Remaking parking garages are on offer in trends.
  • There are eight (not kidding) awesome reports from Statistics Canada.
  • Trumps tweets. Analyzed. Love? Hate? Your call.
  • Three $1 million gifts: Haskayne School, U of Guelph Health Centre, and the Richardson's give to STARS (again!).

Oh, and we published a new podcast. Diversity and Inclusion: Beyond the Pale, Male, and Stale. Emma Lewzey, Ken Lima-Coeho, Kiran Dhaliwal, and Martha Schumacher. So fine.

Enjoy!

Canada Revenue Agency

  • Digital Currency (Canada Revenue Agency) One of the first compliance pieces from CRA on digital currency. Fascinating. I expect much more in the coming months and years. "Digital currency is virtual money that can be used to buy and sell goods or services. Cryptocurrency is a blockchain-based, digital currency. Bitcoins are an example of a cryptocurrency. However, there are thousands of other types. Cryptocurrencies are not controlled by central banks or any country, and they can be traded in a relatively anonymous way." 4/24/19

AFP Global

Awards, honours, and announcements

  • Calgary Zoo wins international recognition for Panda habitat (CBC) CALGARY STORY I am not the least bit surprised. Congrats to the Calgary Zoo. I so heart them pandas. "The Calgary Zoo's panda exhibit has won an award from an international conservation group for using sustainable building practices. The $14.4-million Panda Passage has been awarded 'Petal certification' by the International Living Future Institute. Petal certification is part of the institute's Living Building Challenge, which recognizes projects that adhere to the world's most rigorous building standards." 4/30/19

  • Viola Desmond $10 bill wins international banknote of the year design award (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Awesome! Well deserved. Congrats! "A Canadian $10 bill featuring Nova Scotia civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond has been named the best in the world. The International Bank Note Society has announced the Desmond bill won the coveted Bank Note of the Year Award for 2018, beating out top designs from places like Switzerland, Norway, Russia and the Solomon Islands." 4/30/19

  • Myriam Hemberger Receives 2019 March of Dimes Prize For Breakthrough Research On Placental Biology (Yahoo) CALGARY STORY Congrats! "For her pioneering research to explain the biology of the placenta, the crucial organ for pregnancy in humans and most other mammals, Myriam Hemberger, PhD, has been awarded the 2019 March of Dimes and Richard B. Johnston, Jr., MD Prize in Developmental Biology. March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit for the health of moms and babies." 4/29/19

  • U of A names honorary degree recipients for 2019 spring convocation (Folio) EDMONTON STORY Congratulations to all but a special congratulations to Dr. Carol Cass and Dr. Cyril Kay (both of whom I have had the privilege of working with), to Martin Garber-Conrad (who continues to serve Canada as the CEO of the Edmonton Community Foundation) and Vivian Manasc (whose architectural vision I have admired for years). 4/25/19

  • Sarah Nelems joins Banff Centre as VP of Development (Banff Centre) BANFF STORY We are late to this party but welcome Sarah. Congrats! "Canadian fundraising veteran, Sarah Nelems [joined] Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity on April 1, 2019 as Vice President, Development, following an international search led by Arts Consulting Group Canada. Nelems was the Director of Philanthropy, Western Canada, for the Canadian Red Cross Society (CRCS) from 2012-2016, and with her dynamic Calgary-based team raised more than $42M during the devastating floods in Southern Alberta in 2013." 2/13/19

A new government for Alberta

  • Jason Kenney's economic experiment in Alberta is underway — so what can the province expect? (National Post) ALBERTA STORY "Expectations in the new Kenney government are sky-high for its flagship promise of a corporate tax cut from 12 per cent to eight per cent and the UCP platform promises 55,000 jobs and $1.2 billion in additional tax revenue by 2024. 'This is especially important for relatively young, cash-constrained, debt-constrained corporations,' said University of Calgary economist Bev Dahlby, whose projections were highlighted in the UCP platform. That little bit of extra cash for new companies could be a small step towards diversifying the Alberta economy, he said." 5/1/19

  • Kenney names 20 ministers, 3 associates to first UCP cabinet (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Congrats to you all. We and our clients are looking forward to working closely with all of you. "The guiding force of Alberta's new government is young, diverse and ready to get to work bringing renewed economic prosperity to the province, United Conservative Party Premier Jason Kenney said Tuesday at a ceremony to swear in his first cabinet." 4/30/19

  • New Alberta government halts ‘super lab’ construction (Construction Canada) EDMONTON STORY "Construction on the Edmonton Medical Lab Hub, Alta., nicknamed the ‘super lab’, has been halted by the newly elected provincial government. Shovels hit the ground last month for the building, which would reside next to the University of Alberta’s south campus. The project was scheduled for completion in 2022. The $590-million project would have consolidated lab services for Edmonton under a single roof and placed it under the control of Alberta Health Services (AHS), according to CBC." 4/30/19

Canadian University and College News

  • UCalgary revises Code of Conduct to comply with provincial legislation (UToday) CALGARY STORY I include this to highlight how important it is that we pay attention to gifts and invitations to events and conferences. "The University of Calgary has revised the Code of Conduct to comply with provincial legislation [...]. The most notable revisions to the Code of Conduct relate to concurrent employment and appointments, and to gifts and invitations to events and conferences." 5/1/19

  • Support for third annual Giving Day surpasses $1M goal (UToday) CALGARY STORY Nice work everyone! That is a very impressive giving day outcome. As importantly, this significantly raised the bar, again, for the University of Calgary's culture of philanthropy. I am impressed. "[On] April 25, the University of Calgary celebrated its third annual Giving Day. This year’s event — bolstered by a series of light-hearted faculty- and staff-focused videos that pit the complexity of the university’s academic research against the simplicity of making a gift — drew a record number of supporters, and eclipsed its fundraising goal of $1 million by more than $100,000." 4/30/19

  • RDC recognizes Hockey Alberta's donation and partnership (Education News Canada) RED DEER STORY Congrats to all. "The partnership between these two organizations began with a Charter in 2011, when Hockey Alberta moved its head office onto RDC's Main Campus. The partnership has allowed both organizations to increase the ways they serve Albertans through collaboration. The partnership also allowed RDC and Hockey Alberta to pursue a new facility to support the development of the sport, a vision which contributed significantly to the planning and execution of the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre." 4/29/19

  • University of Calgary's new City Building Design Lab receives $1.5 million in funding at official opening (UToday) CALGARY STORY Woot! Nice work CLMC and City of Calgary. "[The] newly named School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape celebrated the official opening of the City Building Design Lab (CBDL) by accepting a $1.5 million investment from the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC)." 4/29/19

  • Olds College receives $200k for farm technology (Red Deer Advocate)OLDS STORY Nice! "Canada’s largest agricultural term lender is supporting Olds College’s farm technology. Farm Credit Canada has announced a $200,000 commitment to the college and the advancement of ag technology learning and applied research at the Olds College Smart Farm." 4/25/19

News

  • Spring campaign shortfall prompts CKUA radio to launch 'Spring Fundraiser 2.0' (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Wishing you luck on the second round. I will be giving. "The independent radio station relies on donations for 65 per cent of its annual $5.5 million operating budget. This year, the station came up $112,000 short with its spring fundraiser, which was launched in early April in an attempt to avoid the Easter holiday weekend. 5/1/19

  • Instagram Unveils New Donation Tool for Stories (Chronicle of Phlanthropy) We heard it was coming. Now it is here. Nice work Instagram! "Instagram users will now be able to help their favorite nonprofits raise money using a 'donation sticker' embedded in the platform’s stories feature [...]. All of the money raised on the platform will go to the nonprofit a user chooses to support, an Instagram spokesman said, adding that Instagram’s owner, Facebook, will cover the credit-card processing fees and costs of operating the feature." 4/30/19

  • Desjardins increases donation and support for members and clients affected by flooding (NewsWire) CANADIAN STORY Thank you Desjardins! Thinking safe thoughts to all my family and friends in the flood-affected zones. "Last week, Desjardins announced a $50,000 donation to the Red Cross. Today, the organization brought the total up to $75,000 in support of flood victims in Québec, Ontario and New Brunswick. Added to that will be another $80,000 in donations by Desjardins members through AccèsD internet and mobile, and over the phone." 4/30/19

  • Paintings salvaged after fire at Surrey's Crescent Beach Gallery (CBC) SURREY STORY An artist's worst nightmare. "Fire crews helped save dozens of paintings at a pop-up gallery after a fire broke out at a rental space in Surrey on Monday [...]. 'I was already crying just thinking about losing them,' says artist" 4/29/19

  • Calgary’s National Music Centre launches Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Bass Exhibit at Studio Bell on May 26 (That Eric Alper) CALGARY STORY Closer to [my] heart. I love this. It is not often that bass guitarist is the lead vocalist of a band. And RUSH is an amazing band. Can't wait to see the exhibit. "The National Music Centre is pleased to announce Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Bass Exhibit at Studio Bell, highlighting a selection of rare and iconic bass guitars from one of rock’s most revered players. Best known as the formidable frontman of Canadian rock band Rush, Lee has spent years collecting hundreds of vintage bass guitars—a passion which became the inspiration for Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass." 4/29/19

  • 'It's a great day': Major expansion to Penticton hospital opens (CBC) PENTICTON STORY Congrats! Always nice to see new health facilities brought online. "Brand new operating rooms, state-of-the-art facilities and recovering patients no longer having to share rooms with three other people are all promised benefits of a new hospital expansion in Penticton. The brand-new David E. Kampe Tower expansion to Penticton Regional Hospital officially opened its doors Monday." 4/29/19

  • Nick Lees: Stomping and popping leads to big night for Edmonton hospice project (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY Nice work Edmonton! "It took only seven minutes during Sorrentino’s Restaurant Group’s 40th anniversary celebrations on Thursday to raise $380,000 for Edmonton’s first free-standing residential hospice." 4/28/19

  • Behind the scenes of a Kamloops parkade's transformation into art (CBC) KAMLOOPS STORY Oh, this is lovely. "A mosaic made of 80,000 aluminum tabs, in 20 different colours, in three different sizes is being used to turn a Kamloops parkade into the city's largest piece of public art. Last year, the city announced the $166,000 project as part of a $1.4 million plan to revitalize the Lansdowne Street area, which includes adding curb extensions, improved street lighting, sidewalk improvements and landscaping to make it more pedestrian friendly." 4/28/19

  • Pope Francis donated $500,000 to help migrants in Mexico headed for the US border (Insider) This is great! More please. "Pope Francis has donated $500,000 to assist migrants in Mexico on their way to the southern US border. The money would support 27 projects in 16 Catholic dioceses including congregations that have asked for help providing housing, food, and other supplies [...]." 4/28/19

  • Calgary Expo's origin story: It started small, very small (CBC) CALGARY STORY I have had the privilege of working with Kandrix and his team. This is a really great story. "In 2005, Calgarian Kandrix Foong was an aspiring comic book creator who made it to the San Diego Comic Book Festival, where he came face-to-face with the truth about his chances of climbing the comic book creator ladder. He was good in a world full of great [...]. That may have been Marvel or DC's loss, but Foong's epiphany soon turned out to be every Calgary comic and fantasy lover's luckiest break ever, because it led to Foong launching the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo in 2006." 4/26/19

  • British girl with big heart sends tiny donation to Notre Dame appeal (Fox News) And now for another one of my recap partner Katia's favourites -- the story of yet another tiny fundraiser. Sweet all around. A 9-year-old British girl sent €3.38 ($4.37) to the Fondation du Patrimoine, one of the four organizations tasked by the French government with collecting donations for the rebuilding. 'Dear people of France and Paris. My name is Caitlyn, and I am 9 years old, I live in England,' Caitlyn Handley wrote in a letter to the foundation seen by CNN. 'I heard about the Notre Dame fire on the radio and wanted to help, I know it’s not much, but every bit helps. Hopefully, it won’t take too long to build. Thanks, Caitlyn.'" 4/26/19

  • Feds investing nearly $10M toward affordable housing in downtown YYC (Daily Hive) CALGARY STORY Thanks Government of Canada! Much needed. "Downtown Calgary is about to get a brand new building courtesy of the federal government. Calgary Centre MP Kent Hehr announced on Tuesday that the Government of Canada would be investing $9.77 million towards a 74-unit affordable rental apartment building on 5th Avenue." 4/24/19

First Peoples of Canada

  • Maskwa House: A reconciliation project on indefinite hold (The Gateway) EDMONTON STORY "An empty field still rests where the Maskwa House of Learning should be, a proposed student life building for Indigenous students at the University of Alberta that was initially announced over three years ago. 'I’ve been told that the reason why it’s taking so long is that the university says there are no donors for the project,' Sunday said. 'I don’t know if that’s true or not or how much work the university has done trying to get donations.'" 4/29/19

  • ‘That doesn’t sit right’: Elders say Alberta government shouldn’t decide who receives eagle feather (APTN News) ALBERTA STORY "As graduation time nears, some Elders in Alberta are preparing gifts to give Indigenous graduates. At the Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC), Elder in Residence Loretta Parenteau-English will be presenting students with red stoles and the sacred seven teachings written on deer hide. It’s a gift to honour all students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. But Parenteau-English would prefer to present all Indigenous graduates with an eagle feather [...]. But a piece of legislation in Alberta doesn’t allow Elders to gift eagle feathers to all Indigenous students – only those with Treaty status." 4/29/19

  • 'You have to wrap your arms around them': Sask. man recognized for work with Indigenous youth (CBC) SASKATOON STORY This is a beautiful story. One teacher, the right teacher, can make all the difference. "Sean Lessard believes a cup of tea can change everything. That's why he had 250 of them. Lessard, a member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation in north-central Saskatchewan, wanted to do something about the high dropout rates among Indigenous kids. So when he got his first teaching job, he had tea individually with all 250 Indigenous students in the school [...]. Lessard continued the tradition for several years, watching with pride as increasing numbers graduated and thrived." 4/28/19

  • First Nations leaders at odds over potential pipeline ownership (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "An Indigenous group is urging other First Nations to not invest in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, arguing it is not a sound investment. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) has penned an open letter to some leaders who are exploring the idea of partial ownership in the project. It warns of potential financial risks tied to the proposed pipeline expansion if it gets the ultimate green light from Ottawa." 4/27/19

  • Lakeland College to offer Cree language and culture lessons (MyLloydminsterNow) LLOYDMINSTER STORY Sign me up! ViTreo is proud to be supporting Lakeland College with its campaign. "Lakeland College is offering lessons on Cree language and culture this spring. This introductory course will teach those participating structure, phonics and conversational Cree. Taught by Clint Chocan, Lakeland’s manager of Indigenous support services, the lessons will also provide insights into Cree culture." 4/26/19

  • Teaching Chair in Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering (UCalgary) This is very cool. "The Centre for Environmental Engineering Research and Education (CEERE) in the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary invites applications for a Teaching Chair in Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Engineering with the preferred start date of Sept 3, 2019. CEERE is focused on the development and growth of multidisciplinary education programs in Environmental Engineering and Energy and Environment with a mandate to bring together learners, educators, researchers and industry participants to benefit from a team-based approach for tackling current and future environmental challenges in Alberta, Canada and worldwide." April 2019

Life and career hacks

Uncommon knowledge

  • What If Air Conditioning Could Help Stop Climate Change Instead of Causing It? (City Lab) It's called crowd oil. Read on. "[What] if we could weaponize air conditioning units to help pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere instead? According to a new paper in Nature, it’s feasible. Using technology currently in development, AC units in skyscrapers and even your home could get turned into machines that not only capture CO2, but transform the stuff into a fuel for powering vehicles that are difficult to electrify, like cargo ships." 4/30/19

  • Astronomers Spot Distant Black Hole Spinning So Fast That It Warps Space-Time (Inquisitr) Just being able to observe this phenomenon is mind-boggling -- what an amazing time to be an astronomer. "Some 8,000 light-years from Earth in the Cygnus constellation ('The Swan'), a small black hole weighing just nine times the mass of Earth’s sun is gobbling up a sun-like star. The black hole and its stellar victim are locked together in what astronomers call a binary system and orbit each other once every 6.5 days – with spectacular effects, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is reporting [...]. In fact, the plasma jets coming from the black hole are moving so fast that they rapidly change orientation in a matter of minutes, tugging at the space around them in the process. Based on their observations, the scientists believe that 'this unusually rapid motion could be happening because the black hole’s strong gravity is warping space around it,' states the media outlet." 4/29/19

  • Looking Back at Postage Stamps in the Age of Automation (Design) A loving look at the intersection of stamps and technology. Philatelists (I used to be one...surprise!) rejoice! 12/10/18

Opinion

Philanthropic personalities

  • Meet Three Women Who Are Transforming Philanthropy Towards Collaboration (Forbes) These humans are cool. "Moving philanthropy from an ego-system to an ecosystem is one of the three big bets that female philanthropists are making. Apart from giving circles, more female philanthropists are rising up and creating strategic initiatives centered around collaboration. This article profiles three female thought leaders in this space, who are all working with diverse collectives." 4/27/19

  • College Beat: Investing in education inspires student success (Red Deer Advocate) RED DEER STORY I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Michael since he started in education. Michael is a role mode and mentor to many, including me. Congrats on your retirement Michael. "I was inspired to accept an offer from former Red Deer College President, Ron Woodward, to join the Executive Team at RDC in 2001. This was initially through my involvement as a volunteer on the RDC Campaign Cabinet that raised $7.2 million – still a lot of money today – to help build the College’s Library Information Common. I was inspired by the College’s leadership and vision, along with a foundational commitment to student success from those leaders and by faculty and staff, inspiration that has continued under the leadership of current President Joel Ward." 4/26/19

  • Bill Gates is committed to giving away his fortune — but he keeps getting richer (Vox) Yes, indeed: Philanthropy is harder than you think. "Bill and Melinda Gates have given away more than $45 billion through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which primarily works to combat global poverty. Their work has saved millions of lives. At the same time, the Gateses themselves have just kept getting wealthier. (Gates’s fortune surpassed $100 billion once before, briefly in 1999 at the height of the dot-com boom. Adjusted for inflation, that’d be $150 billion today.)" 4/23/19

Philanthropic controversy

  • Vancouver man pleads not guilty to all charges in college admissions scandal (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY "A Vancouver businessman has pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his alleged role in a college admissions scandal in the United States. David Sidoo's lawyer Richard Schoenfeld says the plea was entered in writing after an indictment from the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts accused him of wiring about $100,000 in January 2013 from an account in Canada to an account in California." 4/29/19

  • Genesis Place meeting rooms fee structure updated (Airdrie City View) AIRDRE STORY :-( :-( "The City of Airdrie will no longer differentiate between 'not-for-profit' groups and 'for-profit' groups when it comes to charging user fees for meeting rooms at Genesis Place Recreation Centre." 4/28/19

  • The Latest College Scandal Twist? A Family Allegedly Didn’t Know Their $1.2M Was A Bribe (Refinery29) "[...] the young woman and her parents did not know the payment was going to be used for a bribe. The parents reportedly do not speak English, never had direct contact with Singer, and the report alleges that that [she] was 'naive' about the American college admissions process." 4/28/19

Trends and shifts

  • Traditional masculinity may keep English-speaking men from studying new languages (The Conversation) CANADIAN CONTENT An important study coming out of the University of Alberta. "For decades, more women have been entering male-dominated educational fields and careers. The proportion of men in female-dominated areas, on the other hand, has remained mostly unchanged. Now, gender gaps in female-dominated undergraduate majors — like foreign language — are larger than gender gaps in biology, math or the physical sciences. It also highlights the fact that gender equality is not only a women’s issue; men are affected by stereotypes and beliefs about gender-appropriate behaviour, too." 4/29/19

  • Transforming health care: How artificial intelligence is reshaping the medical landscape (CBC) CANADIAN STORY This is happening in Canada. Right now. "You can already find it in some emergency rooms — and soon we'll see it in every aspect of health care. Artificial intelligence in health care carries huge potential, according to experts in computer science and medicine, but it also raises serious questions around bias, accountability and security." 4/26/19

  • Who's having babies — and when — has changed dramatically in Canada (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "The fertility rates of Canadian women have undergone a dramatic shift since the turn of the century, dropping among women under 30 and rising for those in higher age brackets, according to a short paper released Thursday by a Calgary economist. Statistics Canada figures from 2000 to 2017 show that fertility rates of women under 30 fell in every province and territory, except for women in New Brunswick aged 25-29 years, says the Ron Kneebone of the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy." 4/25/19

  • Tax Law Changes Impact Charitable Giving – Is Philanthropy Motivated by Tax Reasons Dead? (Send2Press) "'There’s a paradigm shift, and the need to do things from an estate tax planning point of view isn’t as prevalent,' [Michael Crvarich, Vice President of Legacy Giving at the John Muir Health Foundation] says. 'We’re seeing a values-based approach now that people aren’t trying to beat Uncle Sam.'" 4/25/19

  • "Empower Them To Succeed." An Alumna Looks to Close the Engineering Gender Gap (Inside Philanthropy) "A gift out of Los Angeles finds an alumna donor looking to close the glaring gender gap in STEM fields, but with a unique twist. In a space dominated by tech, corporate, and institutional funders, Stacy Nicholas’ gift flowed from direct experience—she graduated with degrees in electrical engineering." 4/25/19

  • Continuing Education: Innovations in Parking Garages (Architectural Record) ViTreo is proud to be working on just such a project, Platform, in Calgary. Thanks to Andrea McManus for sharing this story. "The way people get around is undergoing a revolution—three revolutions, in fact: electrification, automation, and shared mobility. One of the far-reaching implications of this coming change is that a staid, stolid, and largely unloved building type, the multilevel parking garage, will require a radical rethink." 3/1/19

  • The Tech That Will Impact 2019 (UtopiaPress) From the dominance of voice assist (and assistance), to AI in the ER, to authentically autonomous cars, 2019 is shaping up to be a watershed technology year. 1/6/19

Stats and facts

  • Study: Do Youth from Lower- and Higher-income Families Benefit Equally from Postsecondary Education? (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY This is a great study. And an important one if you work in education. "The study found that completing a postsecondary education is associated with a larger increase in earnings among youth from lower-income families than youth from higher-income families. This was the case for those with a college diploma as well as for university bachelor's degree program graduates, when compared with youth who did not attend a postsecondary institution." 4/26/19

  • Canada's population estimates: Age, sex and marital status, July 1, 2018 (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY Oh these are good. "Population estimates by marital status, legal marital status, age and sex for Canada, the provinces and territories, as of July 1, 2018, are now available. Revised estimates as of July 1, for the years 1996 to 2017, are also available." 4/25/19

  • Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators, 2017 (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY "Culture and sport include the images, sounds and stories that we see, hear and read every day, whether it be the museums we visit, the shows we watch or the teams we support in the world of arts and sport. In 2017, culture and sport gross domestic product (GDP) combined was $59.7 billion, supporting 784,500 jobs in Canada. To put this into perspective, $53.1 billion of the $59.7 billon in GDP in this area comes from culture. Sport contributes $6.6 billion." 4/25/19

  • Study: Economic well-being across generations of young Canadians: Are millennials better or worse off? (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY As a Gen-Xer, you don't have to tell me :-) "Over the last decade, millennials pursued postsecondary studies and began to enter the labour market. The study finds that millennials—the most educated generation—had higher household incomes than Gen-Xers or baby boomers when they were the same age. Specifically, household incomes reached $66,500 for millennials aged 25 to 34 in 2016, compared with $51,000 for young Gen-Xers at the same age in 1999." 4/18/19

  • Tracking physical activity levels of Canadians, 2016 and 2017 (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY We need this to be higher. Much higher. "About 40% of children and youth aged 5 to 17 meet the recommended targets for physical activity compared with 16% of adults aged 18 to 79. Regular physical activity has been tied to improvements in body composition, self-esteem, bone density and blood pressure so tracking Canadians' activity levels over time plays an important public health function." 4/17/19

  • Canadian residential facilities for victims of abuse, 2017/2018 (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY Very useful information for those working in this field. "In 2017/2018, there were 552 facilities operating across Canada which had a primary mandate to serve victims of abuse, and these facilities admitted over 68,000 people. Residential facilities for victims of spousal and interpersonal violence have been providing an essential service since the 1970s." 4/17/19

  • INFOGRAPHIC: Seniors online (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY This is a great infographic. And more than a few surprises. Next time someone says our elders don't use technology, flash this little beauty. 4/15/19

  • The population living in shelters: Who are they? (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY Very interesting read. Some surprised too. "While men represented the majority of persons living in shelters (60.8%), this differed by shelter type. Most residents in shelters for people without a fixed address (72.8%) and other shelters (89.8%) were men. Meanwhile, residents of shelters for those escaping abuse were predominantly women and their children (96.2%)." 4/15/19

Reports and studies

  • Media often ignore ethical concerns about medical crowdfunding, study finds (MinnPost) CANADIAN CONTENT Pretty proud of my alma mater for this story. Go UofA Health Law Institute! "Articles in major newspapers about medical crowdfunding campaigns — social-media efforts to solicit donations from family, friends and strangers to help pay for a medical treatment — tend to describe those campaigns in neutral or positive tones, and rarely mention any of the social, ethical or financial concerns that they raise, according to a study published this week in the journal PLOS One." 4/25/19

  • New Report on What Motivates People to Volunteer, Stay Engaged (AFP Global) Interestingly, almost 70% would like a digital credential to track hours, etc. -- sounds like a great app opportunity..."More than three-quarters of volunteers report that understanding the impact they have on the organization and the cause is what keeps them engaged and coming back to help out, according to a recent survey of 7,000 volunteers across the United States. The Volunteer Perspective—Industry Insights 2019 was prepared by Verified Volunteers, which surveyed over 7,000 VolunteerMatch volunteers to help charities build stronger volunteer programs." 4/24/19

  • Analyzing Trump’s Tweets (The Startup) No matter how you feel about this president, this analysis is fascinating. It might even be important. 10/31/18

Large gifts

  • Fuelling entrepreneurial thinking: RBC Foundation gifts $1M to Haskayne School of Business (UToday) CALGARY STORY Thanks RBC! "The competition [RBC Fast Pitch], which is tied to the undergraduate class Entrepreneurial Thinking 317 (ENTI 317), sees groups of BComm students pitch their new venture ideas in front of an experienced panel of judges." 5/1/19

  • $1 million donation to St. Joseph's Health Centre to support community ( 5 photos) (Guelph Today) GUELPH STORY Congrats and thank you the Ireland family. "St. Joseph’s Health Centre has received a $1 million donation from the Ireland family which will be allocated towards state-of-the-art equipment needed for patients and residents. As a recognition of the gift, the main lobby of St. Joseph’s Health Centre [...] has been renamed to The Robert Ireland Family Lobby." 4/30/19

  • CU Boulder receives $5M donation from Suzanne and Dave Hoover (Daily Camera) "CU Boulder announced [...] that supporters Suzanne and Dave Hoover are donating $5 million to the university." 4/29/19

  • STARS Receives $1M Donation from James Richardson & Sons (ChrisD.ca) CANADIAN STORY Congrats and thank you, again, to the Richardson family. "A $1 million donation has been made to STARS air ambulance by James Richardson & Sons, Limited, and affiliated companies. The major gift will support STARS’ lifesaving operations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Eastern B.C." 4/28/19

  • $5 million donation to support 6 new residences being built at Lehigh University (WFMZ) "A $5 million gift is going to support a new cluster of six residences being built at Lehigh University. The New Residential Houses project at Lehigh University is being built west of the Clayton University Center at Packer Hall. Hitch House and two other houses will be available to students starting in the fall of 2020. Julie and Jordan Hitch provided the money." 4/24/19

  • Penn's Energy Policy Center receives a $30 million anonymous donation (The Daily Pennsylvanian) Wow! That's a huge anonymous gift. "Penn's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy has received a $30 million anonymous gift that will allow the Center to hire new faculty who specialize in energy policy, as well as supporting its continued programming." 4/23/19

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