Weekly News Recap: August 4, 2023

Weekly News Recap: August 4, 2023

Greg and Diane Slaight have personally provided a $60-million grant to the Niagara Health Foundation — the largest in the foundation's history.

Bad news travels fast. Good news takes the scenic route.— Doug Larson

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Lost budgie named Pineapple returned to B.C. girl on 11th birthday (Victoria News) SURREY STORY #Reunion "It happens frequently in the warmer, summer months – a door or window is left open, and within seconds, a pet budgie, or cockatiel or love bird flies through into the great wide open, perhaps never to be seen again. Posts about missing pet birds in social media neighbourhood and community groups also become more frequent when the weather gets warmer. But it was a Facebook post that helped Pineapple find her way back to her worried guardian Priscilla Reeves [Timmons.]"

  • VIDEO: Black bear caught taking a dip in California hot tub (CBC) #JustHavingADipOfficer "The Burbank Police Department in California recently responded to a call to find the unexpected sight of a black bear lounging in a hot tub. Eventually, the animal moved to perch atop a tree on the same property. Officers worked alongside the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to monitor the bear, in order to ensure its safety and the safety of the neighbourhood. After several hours, the bear came back down and wandered off without further incident."

  • VIDEO: 5 cougars caught on trail camera by wildlife enthusiast in Powell River, B.C. (CBC) POWELL RIVER STORY I love how they are playing. "That's what wildlife enthusiast Wayne Obermeyer figures he captured after one of his trail cameras caught five cougars wandering through the woods together near Powell River, B.C., earlier this month."

  • VIDEO: Saying 'I love you' with 1.2 million sunflowers (CBC) #SoBeautiful What a lovely anniversary gift. "Kansas farmer Lee Wilson didn't know what to get his wife Renee for their 50th wedding anniversary, until inspiration struck. She loved sunflowers, so he decided to turn 80 acres into an unending field of yellow, growing 1.2 million blooms to mark their celebratory milestone together."

  • Meet Franklin, the wild turkey gobbling up attention in a Kitchener, Ont., neighbourhood (CBC) KITCHENER STORY Reminds me of Calgary's Turk. #RIPTurk "A wild turkey that has taken up residence in a Kitchener, Ont., neighbourhood is gaining popularity on social media. The turkey has been lovingly nicknamed Frank, Frankie or Franklin, and is notorious for crossing the road without a care in the world in the Franklin and Weber area."

  • VIDEO: Conservationist 'blown away' by 1,000-year-old Western red cedar growing on B.C.'s South Coast (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #AweInspiring "Photographer TJ Watt documented the tree, which he says is the grandest of his career and a symbol of critical biodiversity."

  • Armless 7-Year-old Boy Gets to Finally Go Fishing–After Donation of a New ‘Hero Arm’ (LOOK) (Good News Network) Everyone deserves a chance to go fishing. "A seven-year-old boy born without an arm has been able to hold a fishing rod with two hands for the first time. Alex Sparkes spent birthdays ‘wishing his arm would grow’, but now he’s happily casting alongside his dad using a new ‘life-changing’ $16,000 prosthetic limb. The Black Panther-themed arm was a gift from ‘Britain’s kindest plumber’ James Anderson, a 55-year-old who was touched by Alex’s tale."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment a slackliner set a daring world record (CBC) I can't look. I can't stop looking. "Renowned Estonian slackline athlete Jaan Roose set a new world record by crossing 150 metres between Doha’s iconic Katara Towers – 185 metres above the city."

  • Meet the Quebec clown travelling to Ukraine to entertain children dealing with trauma of war (CBC) QUEBEC STORY Guillaume will be a welcome visitor. "Guillaume Vermette is packing his clown wardrobe — red nose, suspenders and colourful suit — for a two-week trip to Ukraine. This time next week the volunteer from Trois-Rivières, Que., who calls himself a humanitarian clown, will be entertaining kids and families in Lviv — several hundred kilometres west of the front line of the war which erupted after Russia's invasion of Ukraine."

  • VIDEO: Humpback whales take synchronized swimming to a bigger scale (CBC) Truly beautiful and amazing. "Whale watchers off Cape Cod caught a trio of humpbacks breaching in near-perfect unison."

  • 'It was surreal,' says woman who played her harp atop Mount Kilimanjaro (CBC) If all goes well, we will be there in a few years. "What does a harp sound like when it's being strummed atop a dormant volcano, at an altitude of 5,895 metres? 'It sounds like heaven,' Irish harpist Siobhan Brady said. Brady has just performed a concert at the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world. In doing so, she beat her own Guinness World Record for highest harp performance."

  • Actions of bystanders — including kids — saved 3-year-old from drowning in B.C. lake, police say (CBC) WASA LAKE STORY #Heroes "Police are commending the actions of several bystanders — including three young children — who leapt into action to save the life of a three-year-old girl who nearly drowned on Tuesday. Kimberley RCMP say the girl is now in stable condition after the near-drowning incident at Wasa Lake in the East Kootenay."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. How Indigenous Architecture is Shaping the Future of Arts Commons (Avenue Calgary) CALGARY STORY "The design team overseeing the [Arts Commons Transformation] ACT is made up of local and international design leaders including Toronto-based KPMB, Hindle Architects and SLA, a nature-based design studio that operates out of Denmark. Another key player is Tawaw Architecture Collective Inc., headed up by Wanda Dalla Costa — the first female First Nations architect in Canada. Dalla Costa is a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation in central Alberta and grew up in Edmonton. She is currently based in Phoenix, Ariz., where she is institute professor, The Design School, at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts; and associate professor, Del E. Webb School of Construction, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. With Dalla Costa’s lens over the entirety of the design, the ACT project is looking to be unlike any other structure in Calgary from the inside-out."

  2. Uncovering the Personal Life of Louis Riel Through Newly Discovered Writings (Any Uak Media) CANADIAN STORY "A recent exhibition, 'Devotion: Louis Riel Writes Home,' held at the University of Calgary’s Nickle Galleries until September 1, offered a rare glimpse into the personal life of Louis Riel. The exhibition showcased two of Riel’s notebooks and around 37 letters exchanged between Riel and his close family. These writings shed light on the years of exile during which Riel led two historic Métis rebellions in western Canada."

  3. The warming climate is making cooler countries like Canada more appealing to tourists: Ken Coates and Carin Holroyd in the Toronto Star (MLI) CANADIAN STORY "For centuries, winter warmth has been an irresistible siren for travellers. Today more than 800,000 Canadians head south each year to resorts or condos in locales from Cuba to Costa Rica, Maui to Jamaica. But, as Earth changes faster and more dramatically than even many scientists predicted, global vacation priorities are evolving. This summer European tourism is down, and those who go are spending more time than planned in hotel rooms or cruise ship staterooms. Arizona’s record heat is taxing air conditioners and water supplies, making fast-growing cities like Phoenix places to avoid. Daily Mediterranean temperatures constantly top 40 degrees. These conditions make visiting non-air-conditioned ancient ruins — or just heading to a beach or pool — less appealing."

  4. These Canadian companies switched to a 4-day work week. Here's why (CBC) CANADIAN STORY I like this trend. "Ayesha Khan says she isn't sure she could return to traditional work after shifting to a four-day work week. Her company adopted the new scheme in March. And since then, every Friday, the Milton, Ont., resident has the time for something as simple as getting her nails done — something she says, as a mother of two, used to take months to plan."

  5. Nick Petros, founder of Nick's Steakhouse and Pizza, mourned by family (CBC) CALGARY STORY RIP Nick. Your legacy remains and is a going concern. "Nick Petros, the founder of popular local eatery, Nick's Steakhouse and Pizza in northwest Calgary, died [...] at the age of 87."

  6. A worm that survived 46,000 years in permafrost wows scientists (WBUR) This seems crazy. "Scientists have discovered a worm that managed to stretch its short life expectancy — by tens of thousands of years. A tiny roundworm was revived after it was frozen in Siberian permafrost 46,000 years ago, when Neanderthals still walked the Earth. The worm, a previously unknown species of nematode, survived after entering a dormant state known as cryptobiosis, during which the animal doesn't eat and lacks a metabolism."

  7. Health Canada assessing popular diabetes, weight-loss drugs like Ozempic for suicide risk (CBC) CANADIAN STORY As a diabetic who uses these drugs, I am watching this story closely. "Health Canada is independently reviewing a class of drugs used in diabetes and weight-loss medications following reports that they may lead to a risk of suicide. In an email on Friday, the federal department told CBC News that it would be doing an assessment of Canadian and international data that looks at the risk of suicidal thoughts, self-harm and suicide when it comes to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists."

  8. In widow’s testimony, contradictions emerge about $10M gift to UCSD (inewsource) "On the last day of testimony in a major six-week trial, a flustered philanthropist sat on the witness stand to explain the origins of a controversial $10 million donation at the center of dueling lawsuits between UC San Diego and one of its former doctors. The dispute dates back to 2015, when Ernestina Kreutzkamp’s husband, Charles Kreutzkamp, died from lung cancer. At the time, a document from his family trust directed the multi-million dollar gift to the UC San Diego Foundation 'for cancer research.'"

  9. Children's book about kayak journey to see whales seeks to help kids demystify death and grieving (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "Death is a mystery in our culture, says B.C. author and poet Kirsten Pendreigh. Her new book, Maybe A Whale, seeks to help children understand that mystery and support them through grief. The story, complete with full-page watercolour illustrations, follows a child and her mother on a journey after the loss of a grandfather. They 'drive for days' — as the young character puts it in the book — and then rent a kayak, pack their items in dry bags, and set out on a kayaking adventure."

  10. Rick Hansen Foundation gets $5M boost from B.C. (Vancouver Island Free Daily) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "[The] provincial government announced $5 million in funding for the Rick Hansen Foundation BC Accessibility Grants Program. Eight communities had already received grants, and now two Indigenous communities and five additional municipalities will also be selected."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. How to Create Mattering at Work (Zach Mercurio, PhD) We all want to be valued and that includes at work.

  2. The Importance of Hobbies, or ‘Serious Leisure’ (The Start Up) Everytime I see an article like this, I am reminded that I need to spend more time on my hobbies. Oh wait, first, I have to find some.

  3. Kettlebell Training for Beginners — The Ultimate Guide (In Fitness And In Health) I have a love/hate relationship with the kettlebell.

  4. Strategies to Keep a Commonplace Book (Critical Margins) Such a great concept.

  5. Mastering First Impressions: Essential Tips for Networking in the First 7 Seconds (The Startup) Some excellent advice for anyone wanting to become better at networking.

  6. This 15-Year-Old Advice from Tim Ferriss Could Transform How You Take Notes (Matthew Ritchie) Tim really does have a great system.

  7. What’s the difference between design values and principles? (UX Design) This is a great conversation to have about most things, including design.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. $60M donation marks largest in Niagara Health history (CHCH) NIAGARA STORY #Wow "Niagara Health has received its largest donation in history with a $60 million gift that it says will 'truly transform' patient care at its facilities. The donation from Greg and Diane Slaight is being directed towards critical patient care equipment and priority needs across Niagara Health. Of the donation, $45 million will address priority patient care needs and the advancement and treatment of health needs for Niagara’s 485,000 residents. $10 million will go towards the Walker Family Cancer Centre to ensure that patients can access cancer diagnoses and treatment close to come."

  2. One million dollars donated to USask for brain tumor and stroke research (CJWW) SASKATOON STORY "Philanthropist Kevin Knight and Knight Cares have donated $1 million to the University of Saskatchewan to improve research and care for patients affected by neurological diseases. Kevin is the president and owner of the Knight Group, an automotive dealer in Canada. The goal of the donation, made in memory of high school friend Chad Martin, is to improve the lives of those affected by brain tumors and strokes."

  3. All NYU Medical Schools Are Tuition-Free After Ken Langone’s $200M Donation (Observer) I like this trend. "Current and future students attending medical school at New York University (NYU) will be offered free tuition, all thanks to donations from billionaire investor Ken Langone and his wife Elaine. Following the couple’s most recent gift, a $200 million donation to NYU’s Long Island School of Medicine, both of the university’s medical programs now offer tuition-free education."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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