Weekly News Recap: August 30, 2024

The Wabanki Wildland Wildfire crew is made up of 10 Indigenous firefighters from Neqotkuk (Tobique), Sitansisk (St. Mary's) and Natoaganeg (Eel Ground) First Nations. (Paisley Sibbald/Submitted by Travis Sappier)

The Paralympic Games actually turned my whole mentality around about disability. When you're in the Paralympic athletes' village and there are 4,000 disabled people, you stop seeing disability. Totally. -- Lee Pearson

SOME GOOD NEWS

• VIDEO: Orcas give father and son a 'surreal' sighting near Vancouver (Daily Hive) VANCOUVER ISLAND STORY "A pod of orcas gave a local father and son the memories of a lifetime while they worked on their boat near Horseshoe Bay."

• There's 4 and 20 million doors, and one of them leads to Oasis's return (CBC) Backbeat, word is on the street... #Awesome "Oasis, the Britpop band known for timeless hits like Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger, is reuniting for a tour next summer, ending a 15-year hiatus and, presumably, the long-held feud between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher."

• Historic Indigenous firefighting crew from New Brunswick heading to Alberta (CBC) NEW BRUNSWICK STORY #Heroes "As wildfires rage in Western Canada, a group of Indigenous firefighters is partnering with the province to head to Alberta and lend a hand."

• VIDEO: Could you handle life in a fire tower lookout? (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Cool story. "Living isolated and off the grid isn’t for everyone. Bryan Jamieson, who has worked as a lookout observer for 17 years, spoke with CBC from his elevated ‘office’ near Slave Lake about his unique career."

• With a paddle and a pack, this B.C. MP meets his constituents where they live (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY I love how this guy takes his job so seriously. "Paddling solo for 174 kilometres down the Kispiox and Skeena rivers in northwestern British Columbia each summer, NDP MP Taylor Bachrach encounters rapids, storms, grizzly bears and a spectacular landscape in his unusual effort to connect with constituents."

• VIDEO: There's an air guitar world championship — and this Canadian just won (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Canadian Zachary Knowles, also known as 'Ichabod Fame,' shredded the competition to become the world champion of air guitar in Finland [...]. Knowles captured the Air Guitar World Championship by beating out other dedicated competitors like 'Shred Lasso' and 'Guitarantula.'"

• VIDEO: Broncos bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann headed to Paris after meteoric rise in Para rowing (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY #GoJacob "Jacob Wassermann is only a few days from heading to Paris to represent his country at the highest level of Para sports, but it still doesn't feel real. Whatever happens at his Para rowing event in the 2024 Paralympic Games, the 24-year-old is already feeling on top of the world."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

1. Carbonara in a can? This Italian chef thinks it's 'genius,' but he'll never eat it (CBC) I would not eat it either."Chef Alessandro Pipero says he doesn't begrudge Heinz for selling a creamy spaghetti in a can. But he wouldn't call it carbonara."

2. Ilona Maher is Sports Illustrated's latest swimsuit cover model. Will that change how we judge women's bodies? (CBC) "Fresh off a medal win with her team in the Paris Olympics, U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher is making new waves as the latest digital cover model for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition."

3. The Myer Horowitz Makeover (Edify) EDMONTON STORY ViTreo did the original planning study. Lovely to see this project done."At the University of Alberta standing centre stage inside the newly renovated Myer Horowitz Theatre, Marc Dumouchel recalls taking a water balloon to the face in this exact spot 34 years ago during a student election forum. 'I thought it was the best possible thing that could have happened to me,' he says, looking at the empty theatre."

4. VIDEO: Best water skiers in the world make a splash in Saskatoon (CBC) SASKATOON STORY "The Saskatoon Water Ski Club is hosting a professional water skiing competition [...] with elite athletes competing in slalom, trick, and jump events to [vie] for the World Water Skiers Canada Cup."

5. VIDEO: Calgary's Kate O'Brien pedals to Canada's 1st Paris 2024 Paralympic medal (CBC) CALGARY STORY Congrats! #GoCanadaGo "Kate O'Brien earned bronze in the women's Para Cycling Track C4-5 500-metre time trial final, for Canada's first medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games."

6. Glenn Barnes, who forwarded alumnus's email to her father, resigns as chair of MUN board of regents (CBC) NEWFOUNDLAND STORY "Glenn Barnes, the chair of Memorial University's board of regents who came under fire this summer for forwarding a student's pro-Palestinian email to her father, has resigned, the Newfoundland and Labrador government said in a press release."

7. One last hurrah for the historic Ironman race in Penticton, B.C. (CBC) PENTICTON STORY #Iconic "[The] Ironman race in Penticton, B.C., marks the end of an era for the international competition that was first held in the city in the 1980s — making it one of the first races under that name in North America. Ironman Canada-Penticton is hosting the triathlon for the last time, concluding a tradition that has been a cornerstone of the city for decades."

8. 10 organizations awarded $1 million in grants to support Calgary’s Home Program (CJWE) CALGARY STORY Great move! "The City of Calgary has awarded $1 million in grant funding to 10 non-profit organizations to deliver innovative projects that increase housing stability and successful tenancies for affordable housing residents or people in housing need."

9. VIDEO: Should parents of boys set aside the topic of toxic masculinity? This author thinks so (CBC) "‘It was like, everyone's talking about this gender as if they're the enemy and they're harmful and they're terrible. But these are my children they're talking about.’ That got her wondering, she said, if instead of striving to define positive versus toxic masculinity, parents should focus on simply raising good people — regardless of gender."

10. Halfway through 3-year closure, Hawrelak Park rehabilitation on schedule, city says (CBC)EDMONTON STORY It has already been a long closure :-( "Edmonton's William Hawrelak Park is on track to reopen as planned in 2026 after rehabilitation work, city officials say. About halfway through a long three-year closure [...] much of the park looks like a construction site."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

1. How To Say Good-Bye To Your Beloved Books … (Theresa Ann Story) I could really use this advice.

2. The 3 Exercises You Need if You Sit a Lot (David Liira) I sit a lot.

3. How to Stop Overthinking (Psychology of Stuff) Great advice. And a new word...Illeism.

4. The Best Song From Every Decade (The Riff) Brilliant.

5. Embrace Your Bioage, Abandon Your Calendar Age, Say Scientists (Curated Newsletters) What is your biome?

6. AI as a Collaborator, not a Replacer (Generative AI) I hope this is how many will use AI.

7. Want To Test Your Joint Health Age? (In Fitness And In Health) Now that you know your bioage, what is your joint age?

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

1. Black Disabled Liberation Project receives $1 million investment (Philanthropy News Digest) "Borealis Philanthropy has announced a $1 million investment into its  Black Disabled Liberation Project."

2. Parks and Recreation Department to receive $1 million donation (KYMA) "The City of Yuma Parks and Recreation Department will be receiving a special $1,000,000 donation. The donation comes from Jones and Brigida Osborn, both of whom passed away several years ago."

3. Local organization receives $1 million donation to end generational poverty in west Charlotte (City Metro) "An organization focused on creating better outcomes for families on Charlotte’s west side is set to increase its efforts through a new $1 million donation. The Renaissance West Community Initiative (RenWest) recently announced a $1 million donation from the Howard R. Levine Foundation to enhance the organization’s Educational Pipeline Initiative."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

• VIDEO: Hopefulness Is the Warrior Emotion (Kottke.org)

• Heman Bekele Is TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year (Time)

• London street cleaner wins dream vacation in a contest made just for him (MSN)

• VIDEO: After 7 years and almost $100K, Canadian woman born without arms and short legs can now drive (CBC)

• Meet the Granfluencers (The Walrus)

• Eyes that would 'melt your soul': Hawk, the trailblazing Calgary police trauma dog, dies at 14 (CBC)

• Arts Umbrella names new Lindsay Mearns School of Dance following $2 million donation (Stir)

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