Weekly News Recap: May 31, 2024

Sydney Banks' first route with Calgary Transit started in Eau Claire and took him to Bowness. He recalls his starting day in November was -20 C. (CBC News)

Finding a good bus driver can be as important as finding a good musician. -- Reba McEntire

SOME GOOD NEWS

VIDEO: @Barbie | The Dream Gap Project (YouTube) Barbie, you are killing it. Thanks to Calgary YMCA CEO Shannon Doram for sharing this amazing video."Starting at age 5, many girls begin to develop limiting self-beliefs. They stop believing their gender can do or be anything. This is the Dream Gap, and this is the year Barbie begins working to close it."
VIDEO: Ontario First Nation legislator makes history at Queen's Park (CBC) TORONTO STORY This is so great. "After decades of being told his first language should be forgotten, Sol Mamakwa stood on the floor of the Ontario Legislature about to make history. But he couldn't shake the thought that he should continue in English and not Anishininiimowin, also called Oji-Cree, the language his mother taught him."
VIDEO: For the LDS Church in Alberta, faith and history are deeply entrenched with the region's water (CBC) MAGRATH STORY "Diggers centres on famous stories in the Mormon church in Canada, including that of Levi Harker, an early pioneer from Utah who went on to become Magrath's first bishop and was the town's mayor for two terms."
Man looks back fondly on 50 years with Calgary Transit (CBC) CALGARY STORY His weather reports as the C-Train rolls into downtown are legendary. "Sydney Banks's first day at Calgary Transit was Nov. 5, 1973. Since then, he's become a beloved operator with over 50 years of service under his belt, and has watched the transit system change and expand along with the city."
Reporter relaunching Alaska Highway News in Fort St. John, B.C. (CBC) FORT ST JOHN STORY Nice. "Reporter Todd Buck had been working at the Alaska Highway News for a couple of years when he learned the paper he'd come to care so deeply about was going to disappear. 'It was heartbreaking,' he said. 'For something that meant so much to not just my family, but a community here, to find out that it wasn't going to be something the next day was heartbreaking.' But now, Buck is hoping to give the newspaper a new life."
Tiny US fire department using 1980s gear surprised by $500,000 donation (The Guardian) "A 91-year-old man has donated $500,000 to a tiny rural volunteer fire department in Missouri in an act of generosity that will transform the fortunes of the struggling organization, whose members have been using equipment from the 1980s."
How Kite Surfing in Remote Colombia Changed a Boy. And a Village. (New York Times) What a story! "They came from all over the world to this remote stretch of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Two hailed from India. Two traveled from Switzerland. One from the Netherlands. Another from Seattle. They all wanted to be taught by Beto Gomez, a professional kite surfer, in the spot where he first learned the sport."
Stunning All-Electric Zebra Boat (Moss and Fog) This is super cool. "The Zebra is an all-electric boat that marries timeless elegance with cutting-edge innovation. We love the sleek style and understated details, designed by Dimitri Bez. Channeling the allure of La Dolce Vita, it masterfully blends noble materials like rich wood and supple leather with state-of-the-art technologies, including a powerful electric motor and an intuitive touchscreen tablet. The all-electric powertrain makes it a quiet cruiser, refreshing as power boats go."
VIDEO: Three little piggies at a yoga class = maximum happiness (AP News) #PiggieYoga "Three little piggies went to a yoga class. Their human companions had a blast. Wilbur, Charlotte and Bluey fit right into a growing trend of yoga with animals, adding some fun to the usual physical and mental wellness exercises at a class in central Massachusetts. Darting and strolling among the yoginis making downward dog, crow and cobra poses, the piglets also dug up a backyard with their soft pink snouts as two rabbits and a goat named Munchie searched for the tastiest shoots."
First-of-its-kind medical school in Cherokee Nation graduates inaugural class of doctors (PBS) "Growing up, Mackenzee Thompson always wanted a deeper connection with her tribe and culture. The 26-year-old member of the Choctaw Nation said she grew up outside of her tribe’s reservation and wasn’t sure what her place within the Indigenous community would be. Through a first-of-its-kind program, Thompson said she’s now figured out how she can best serve her people — as a doctor."
NBA great Dwyane Wade launches Translatable, an online community supporting transgender youth (AP News) "NBA great Dwyane Wade was back in South Florida on Thursday to do battle again. The Hall of Famer spent more than 14 seasons as a guard for the Miami Heat, winning three championships, having Miami-Dade County nicknamed 'Wade County,' and he still leads the franchise in everything from points and rebounds to personal fouls. But the fight he outlined [...] at The Elevate Prize Foundation’s Make Good Famous Summit, after receiving the nonprofit’s Elevate Prize Catalyst Award, may be the most personal of all.”
Boy, 5, is world’s youngest to use bionic hero arm (BBC) "A five-year-old boy born without a left hand is believed to have become the youngest in the world to receive a bionic hero arm. Jordan’s life-changing Iron Man-style arm was an 'instant confidence boost' for him, his mother Ashley Marotta said."
VIDEO: The first Mexican taco stand to get a Michelin star is a tiny business where the heat makes the meat (AP News) This is AWESOME. "Newly minted Michelin-starred chef Arturo Rivera Martínez stood over an insanely hot grill Wednesday at the first Mexican taco stand ever to get a coveted star from the French dining guide, and did exactly the same thing he’s been doing for 20 years: searing meat. Though Michelin representatives came by [...] to present him with one of the company’s heavy, full-sleeved, pristine white chef’s jackets, he didn’t put it on: In this tiny, 10-foot by 10-foot (3-meter by 3-meter) business, the heat makes the meat. And the heat is intense."
VIDEO: New Jersey quintuplets celebrate their graduation from same college (AP News) #Wow "A set of quintuplets from New Jersey are now all graduates of the same school in their home state — albeit with different majors. The Povolo quintuplets received their degrees Monday from Montclair State University, where they all had received full academic scholarships. Born just minutes apart on the Fourth of July, the two girls — Victoria and Ashley and — and three boys — Ludovico, Michael and Marcus — admit it’s been an 'emotional' time as a chapter of their lives comes to a close. [...] When asked what they tell people who are curious about life as a quintuplet, Ashley Totowa says, “It’s like a large friend group that you can’t leave.”"
VIDEO: Teen walks at graduation after completing doctoral degree at 17 (ABC) #DoubleWow "A teenager from Chicago walked in her graduation ceremony this month after earning her doctoral degree at 17. Dorothy Jean Tillman II told 'Good Morning America' that she was homeschooled in her early years before entering college at age 10. In 2020, she said she earned a Master of Science degree, and then, one year later, at age 15, was accepted into the Doctorate of Behavioral Health Management program at Arizona State University."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

VIDEO: Calgary International Film Festival launches bold new ‘constellation’ strategy (Livewire Calgary) CALGARY STORY Way to go CIFF. "Visitors to the Calgary International Film Festival this fall will be doing so in a way they haven’t before, thanks to a new strategic plan implemented by CIFF following the closure of the Eau Claire Cinemas. At the heart of the new plan, which marks the quarter-century anniversary of the festival, is a series of venues across the core of Calgary, along with the theatres at Chinook Centre, to meet the annual demand that thousands of fans have for the hundreds of films CIFF shows each year."
UPDATED: Alberta government to spend $43 million on Advanced Skills Centre at NAIT (Western Standard) EDMONTON STORY Congrats NAIT! "The Alberta government will be spending $43 million to plan the Advanced Skills Centre (ASC) at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), training an additional 4,200 apprentices annually."
VIDEO: Ronald McDonald House announces fundraising campaign ahead of major Calgary expansion project (CTV) ALBERTA STORY ViTreo is proud to have worked with RMHC on this project. Wishing this campaign great success. "Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Alberta has officially launched its ‘Big Build’ fundraising campaign as the organization’s Calgary facility aims to triple its living capacity through a major expansion project set to open up next year."
Why has Saskatchewan produced so many NHLers? (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY #Winter #AndNothingElseTodo (grin). "Saskatchewan has produced so many professional hockey players over the years, you'd think there's something in the ice. 'Our province has led all jurisdictions,' said Darrell Davis, author of Fire on Ice: Why Saskatchewan Rules the NHL."
Carleton U. aims to put Canada on philanthropic map with research centre (Canadian Family Offices) OTTAWA STORY "For the eleventh consecutive year, the number of Canadians making charitable donations has declined, according to CanadaHelps, the charity that facilitates online donation and fundraising. Among the factors at work, experts say, are generational and demographic evolution of the population. Charities might fare better if they had more data about what motivates donors today. But Canada is the only G7 country without a research facility dedicated to philanthropy, says Susan Phillips, a professor of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership at Ottawa’s Carleton University."
A mega-gift for an HBCU college fell through. Here's what happened — and what's next (NPR) And then story continues... "Transformative financial donations don't come along often in higher education. So when a donor promised a $237.75 million gift to Florida A&M University, school officials were understandably excited. The donor was Gregory Gerami, a 30-year-old businessman from Texas who said he wanted to make sure the historically Black school's windfall would help students who needed the money most. Funds were also designated for FAMU's athletics department."
I buried my memories of serving in Afghanistan. 15 years later, I found peace unexpectedly (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Powerful story. Thank you for your service. "I left a part of myself in Afghanistan during my deployment as a Canadian soldier. That's why it hurt so much to see everything fall to the Taliban again after the coalition forces pulled out in 2021. I was 18 when I joined the Canadian Armed Forces and deployed soon after. My tour started in February 2008, during the low fighting season. The level of violence dropped annually in the spring when nearly every available hand was harvesting the opium crop to pay for the year's expenses, including ammunition. By late summer, high fighting season began."
Bark Air, a new airline for dogs, set to take its first flight (CBS) More please. "Bark Air, a new airline that puts dogs before their human companions, [took its first flight last week]. Its sold-out maiden voyage will depart New York for Los Angeles at 4:00 p.m. EST. Bark, a pet company founded in 2011 that sells dog food and other products, announced the new aviation experience for canines in April. It's the second air travel service to market itself as catering to pets before human passengers, recognizing how stressful and uncomfortable commercial air travel can be for animals."
Calgary population surges by staggering 6%, Edmonton by 4.2% in latest StatsCan estimates (CBC) CALGARY STORY We feel it. "Calgary's metro-area population grew by nearly 96,000 people last year — a staggering six per cent increase in the span of just 12 months — according to new estimates released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. Edmonton, meanwhile, added more than 63,000 people, marking a 4.2 per cent increase. That's the largest year-over-year increase for both cities in the modern Statistics Canada records, which date back to 2001. Alberta's recent population boom has been well documented, but these new figures provide a clearer picture of just how many more people are now living in its two largest metropolitan areas."
VIDEO: How these 8 B.C. roommates created a harmonious living arrangement (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #Innovation "This week we’re diving into the diverse ways people live in this province, as the cost of keeping a roof over your head continues to soar. That high price can be especially difficult for students, forcing them into long commutes and sometimes challenging living arrangements. However, CBC’s Shivani Joshi visited a home with eight roommates, who explained how they've managed to create a harmonious communal household."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

What Should You Do with Your Stuff before You Die? (The Walrus) #DeathCleaning
This Research Breaks Down How Much To Sit, Stand, And Sleep Each Day For Optimal Health (Inverse) Interesting pie-chart.
When You Want to Give Someone “Feedback”, Do This Instead (Daniel Stillman) Excellence is rarely achieved in a vacuum. Growing requires reaching outside ourselves and seeking new ideas and perspectives. It’s important to engage in conversations with others on how we can improve. Powerful feedback can come from anywhere — from a peer, coach or mentor, or from people you serve, like your direct reports, your board, or your investors.
Where to Start with Strategy? (Roger Martin) Betterment over perfection. I like this.
6 Hard to Swallow Leadership Pills That, if Applied, Will Make You a Better Boss (Management Matters) I like all of these but #1 and #5 are my favourites.
Walking backwards might 'look a little weird,' but it could be just the exercise you need (CBC) I am seeing this in the gym.
This is the best thickness for steak (The Manual) How to fix it when it's too thick or too thin.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

Steinbach hospital to receive multi-million dollar donation (Winnipeg Free Press) MANITOBA STORY "Bethesda Foundation has pledged $8 million for the new expansion at Bethesda Regional Health Centre. “This is clearly the largest contribution we’ve ever made,” said Darrel Penner, chair of the Bethesda Foundation board. The foundation has raised $15.5 million for the hospital and is hoping to increase that amount to $22 million. “Bethesda Foundation has a long history of giving to healthcare projects,” Penner said."
River otter exhibit to benefit from $2M investment (CTV) CALGARY STORY "A generous investment will see a popular exhibit at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo undergo a massive renovation. Officials say the Brawn Family Foundation has provided $2 million toward the redevelopment of the North American river otter habitat. 'It's with the support of partners like the Brawn Family Foundation that we are able to deepen our focus on iconic Canadian wildlife conservation at each stage of this redevelopment project,' said Jamie Dorgan, interim chief operating officer at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in a statement."
Anonymous gifts are common. But a climate group says a $10 million gift it got is an all-out mystery (Lakeland Today) "On a Friday morning in April, Dan Stein, the founder of Giving Green, a climate philanthropy organization, found some big news in a surprising email. An anonymous donor had given his fund $10 million. 'I didn’t quite process the number of zeroes,' Stein said, adding he was 'tickled, awestruck, surprised' by the gift. Giving Green collects donations and disperses them to a handful of nonprofits that it believes have the potential to make a significant difference in preventing climate change and reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. The $10 million donation is by far the largest single gift the nonprofit has ever received and it essentially fell out of the sky without warning."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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Vincent DuckworthMay 31, 2024Comment