Weekly News Recap: September 18, 2020

Weekly News Recap: September 18, 2020

Thompson Strawberry Farm has been around for 70 years, but this is the first year it is decorated with sunflowers.

Outrage is like a lot of other things that feel good but over time devour us from the inside out. And it’s even more insidious than most vices because we don’t even consciously acknowledge that it’s a pleasure. -- Tim Kreider

SOME GOOD NEWS

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. As many as 20 per cent of Alberta’s non-profits could fold due to the pandemic (Calgary Herald) ALBERTA STORY Ugh, we all knew that these would be the numbers but...seeing them in print makes me sad. "A perfect storm of oilpatch slump and the pandemic’s economic disruption is squeezing non-profits and charities that employ about 450,000 people and generate $10 billion of Alberta’s [GDP.]" Thanks to Kelly Morris for sharing this story.

  2. Helping Others or Helping Yourself? The COVID-19 Pandemic and WE Charity Scandal Have Forced a Long Overdue Discussion About Volunteering in Canada (The Philanthropist) CANADIAN STORY If you care about equity and equality, we need to start paying volunteers. "The pandemic has exacerbated these and other existing challenges. Though thousands of Canadians have registered with volunteer centres since March, charities have struggled to offer placements due to limited resources. Many senior citizens, who make up most of the volunteers in Canada, stepped back because they are at higher risk of contracting and dying from the virus." Thanks to Andrea McManus for sharing this story.

  3. Corbella: Bob Demulder leaves massive legacy of preserved Alberta lands (Calgary Herald) ALBERTA STORY Bob, thank you for your service. To us and to the future generations who will reap the benefits of you land stewardship. "In his 13 years as regional vice-president of the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Alberta, Bob Demulder and his team have helped preserve 200,600 hectares — or 2,006 square kilometres — of ecologically important swaths of grasslands and boreal forest. That’s an area greater than the size of Calgary (825 square kilometres), Edmonton (684 square kilometres) and three cities the size of Vancouver (115 square kilometres) combined." Thanks to Darcie Acton for sharing this story.

  4. Calgary lunch program expands operations to community delivery (CBC) CALGARY STORY We heart BB4CK. Nice work. "A Calgary lunch program for low income kids is adapting its services by delivering some lunches to communities and into people's homes. Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids says it learned a lot since this spring and had to think outside the box when schools closed. 'We had an opportunity to connect with families we were feeding and learn how best they could receive that support,' said Bethany Ross, director of operations."

  5. Fossil fuel demand may have peaked last year, says BP forecast (CBC) "Fossil fuel consumption is set to shrink for the first time in modern history as climate policies boost renewable energy while the coronavirus epidemic leaves a lasting effect on global energy demand, BP says in a forecast."

  6. Canada must eliminate food banks and provide a basic income after COVID-19 (The Conversation) CANADIAN STORY "The COVID-19 pandemic is an awkward time to propose exiting food banks as a response to widespread food insecurity. Food bank use, after all, is surging. However, research has long shown that feeding surplus food to those left behind in wealthy, food-secure Canada is ineffective, inequitable and an affront to human dignity. In a democratic society that values tolerance, equity and human rights, food banks are symbols of public policy neglect. They enable indifferent governments to ignore the moral crisis of domestic hunger."

  7. Staff Say Foundations Are Taking Action on Race, But Question Leadership's Commitment (Inside Philanthropy) "Conversations in philanthropy about racism and racial justice have been growing in recent years, leading many foundations to examine their own internal dynamics, as well as their funding priorities and practices. Pressure to address the lack of racial equity in American society has been heightened by the severe disparities revealed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and this year’s national uprising in the face of police violence."

  8. Bye, bye, browsing: High-touch Edmonton stores rethink retail strategies during pandemic (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "Just about every business in Edmonton has made changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For high-touch retailers like record shops and bookstores, the pandemic has demanded reducing and in some cases eliminating a key part of their businesses: browsing. Many of the city's retailers have reopened, but some have yet to do so because of the health risks inherent in having customers touching products in a confined space."

  9. Celebrity news: Rough Trade song "High School Confidential" struts into Canadian Songwriting Hall of Fame (Knowledia) CANADIAN STORY I played this song over...and over and over. It is a truly great and groundbreaking song. Well done CSWHoF "Another classic Canadian song is headed to the Canadian Songwriting Hall of Fame — and this one is strutting in with a click of stilettos and a whiff of 'Tigress by Faberge.' 'High School Confidential,' the Rough Trade song that became an anthem of lesbian desire, will be inducted [...] with a presentation to songwriters Carole Pope and Kevan [Staples]."

  10. Bill Gates Sr., Who Guided Billionaire Son’s Philanthropy, Dies at 94 (New York Times) RIP Mr. Gates. "Bill Gates Sr., a lawyer and the father of Microsoft’s co-founder, who stepped in when appeals for charity began to overwhelm his billionaire son and started what became the world’s largest philanthropy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, died [...] at his beach home on Hood Canal, in the Seattle area. He was 94."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. Elon Musk’s 2 Rules For Learning Anything Faster (Entrepreneurial Handbook) Like many things, start in the beginning.

  2. 7 Beliefs You Must Give Up If You Want to Live a Great Life (Self) Really hard to pick but #2 and #7 rise up for me.

  3. A New Way to Schedule Your Workweek (The Forge) Want win at scheduling? Think pessimistically.

  4. This 8-Word Meditation Changed My Life (Curious) Word. Way deeper than I thought it would be.

  5. I Took A Freezing-Cold Shower Every Morning For A Month & This Is What Happened (Refinery 29) Um...why?

  6. My 8-Minute Morning Routine for Energy (Better Humans) Hey, when an author suggests dance as the morning movement, I'm in!

  7. If You Want to Get in Better Shape, Stop Lying to Yourself (Runner's Life) Wah wah. I don't like working out...

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Bank of America allocates $300 million of $1 billion equity pledge (Philanthropy News Digest) "The commitments include support for initiatives across ninety-one U.S. and global markets in four areas: $25 million for jobs initiatives in Black and Latinx communities, $25 million in support of community outreach and initiatives, $50 million for direct equity investments to minority depository institutions (MDIs), and $200 million in proprietary equity investments in minority entrepreneurs, businesses, and funds."

  2. Greenwich Hospital Receives 'Landmark' $14 Million Donation (The Patch) "Greenwich Hospital announced [...] the facility has received a 'landmark gift' of $14 million from Lynne and Richard Pasculano, which will be used to establish the Pasculano Radiation Oncology Center at the Smilow Cancer Care Center Greenwich Hospital."

  3. The Vertex Foundation Announces €1 Million Donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities at the New Children’s Hospital in Ireland (Business Wire) "The Vertex Foundation, a nonprofit charitable foundation [...] announced a €1 million donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) to support the construction of a Ronald McDonald House at the new children’s hospital in Dublin, Ireland."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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