Weekly News Recap: December 6, 2024

Weekly News Recap: December 6, 2024

John Fluevog has delivered a few shoe orders to customers himself as the Canada Post strike persists into a third week. (Radio-Canada)

The real problem is not why some pious, humble, believing people suffer, but why some do not. -- C. S. Lewis

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • VIDEO: Vancouver designer John Fluevog hand-delivers shoes amid Canada Post strike (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY Just one of the many reasons I love Fluevogs. "On a bright Thursday morning, Vancouver shoe designer John Fluevog drives his Mazda to an apartment building in the city's West End. There, he takes the elevator up five floors and drops off a pair of black boots. He doesn't usually make house calls, but as the Canada Post strike is now into its third week, he says he wanted to help make sure his customers got their orders."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment children with disabilities were gifted mobility vehicles (CBC) EDMONTON STORY I heart this. "Volunteer engineer David Verbeek and Edmonton mother Ashley Harrison recount the moment young kids with disabilities were gifted motorized mobility vehicles."

  • Why orcas wear dead salmon as 'hats' remains a mystery, scientists say (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY Maybe they just like playing with their food. "In what may seem like a call-back to 1980s whale culture, a resident orca off the coast of Washington state was recently spotted sporting a dead salmon on its head. The phenomenon was first documented in 1987 when whales from three separate pods were seen wearing salmon on their heads, like a human wears a hat. But scientists never understood why, and experts are still scratching their heads as they contemplate the most recent incident, documented in October."

  • VIDEO: Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration 'overwhelming,' France's Macron says ahead of reopening (CBC) #Yay "Notre-Dame Cathedral will reopen its doors next week to Paris tourists and the Catholic faithful, five-and-a-half years after fire gutted the Gothic masterpiece, one of the French capital's most beloved and visited monuments."

  • VIDEO: At 101, WWII veteran Spitfire pilot gets another spin in Harvard trainer (CBC) ONTARIO STORY We thank them both for their service. "It's been more than 80 years since former Second World War Spitfire pilot Ken Raven was last at the controls of a Harvard Mark II trainer, though you wouldn't know it by the way he flew Thursday over skies above Tillsonburg, Ont. 'He's a great pilot, everything seemed to come back to him,' said Allan Paige, who piloted the flight but turned the stick over to Raven for about 10 minutes once they were airborne. Raven, a former Flying Officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force, celebrated his 101st birthday earlier this month."

  • VIDEO: A 12-year-old Colorado girl is on a mission to bring back snow days (CBC) #GoGirl "When 12-year-old Emily Beckman's teacher asked her to name the 'the greatest invention ever created by humans,' she replied: 'Snow days.' So when she learned that her Colorado school district had changed its weather cancellation policy to transform some snow days into virtual learning days, she decided to fight back."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: 'A humble superstar': Johnny Gaudreau honoured at Saddledome with family in attendance (CBC) CALGARY STORY #WeLovedHim "Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were honoured Tuesday night before the Calgary Flames played the Columbus Blue Jackets, on the same ice where Johnny etched his place as a cherished member of the city's hockey community. The tribute marked the first home game between the Flames and the Blue Jackets since the Gaudreau brothers were killed by a suspected drunk driver in New Jersey in August."

  2. VIDEO: Vancouver Art Gallery scraps design for new building after costs soared to $600M (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY #Eek "The Vancouver Art Gallery has announced it will scrap the design of its proposed new building and bring in a new architecture partner in what is the latest hurdle to the now-$600 million project. Earlier this year, the gallery announced the costs of the much delayed project had ballooned by 50 per cent, and paused construction at the site, situated at the corner of Cambie and West Georgia streets."

  3. Meet the Aggressive Research Firms That Help Charities Say No to Dirty Money (Robb Report) I fully support this. "Though prospect vetting has been part of fundraisers’ duties for a while, investigating people willing to give an organization money has never been so comprehensive. It’s typically those signing the checks who’ve enlisted consultants to tell them exactly where, how, and by whom their hard-earned cash should be spent. Now, these firms are flipping the script by assisting museums, universities, and other nonprofits in putting donors under a microscope, trawling their pasts for everything from criminal connections to money laundering to legal compliance—and even gray areas such as political associations and distasteful, if legitimate, business interests."

  4. Making the past present: a tour through the U of A’s museums (UAlberta) EDMONTON STORY "With the weather getting colder, Edmontonians [...] are looking forward to some distinctly indoor activities! If you're looking for a fun and engaging venture between classes or during a day on campus, join [a] tour through some of the U of A's numerous museums and collections!"

  5. VIDEO: More women are the breadwinners in Canadian families — but less so if they have kids (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "More and more Canadian women are the breadwinners in their families — but there's a catch. Women's contributions to family income have increased over the last 30 years, coinciding with their growth in the labour market, notes a recent report from the Vanier Institute of the Family. And Statistics Canada data analyzed by the independent national think-tank shows that women provide more than 50 per cent of total family income in a growing share of husband-wife families, compared to one-third in 2022, and one-quarter in 2000."

  6. VIDEO: How light pillars form during Alberta winters (Yahoo News) CANADIAN STORY "Light pillars happen on very cold, clear evenings when tiny ice crystals form in the atmosphere. Some have compared the imagery to a UFO sighting or 'bat signal'. The Calgary Eyeopener spoke to University of Calgary physics and astronomy professor Jeroen Stil to find out how they are formed."

  7. VIDEO: Who won Dancing with the Stars? Who cares! This season was all about Ilona Maher's star power (CBC) I love Ilona. "[After] much glitz and fanfare and sequins and kick-ball-changes, a winner was crowned on ABC's 33rd season of Dancing with the Stars. In the hearts of her legions of online fans, that winner was Olympic rugby player and social media sensation Ilona Maher. In reality, it wasn't, but does that really matter?"

  8. VIDEO: Sheridan College to suspend 40 programs and reduce staff, citing drop in enrolment (CBC) ONTARIO STORY "Sheridan College says it's putting 40 programs on hold and laying off staff as it faces a dramatic drop in enrolment. The college estimates that it will have about 30 per cent fewer students next year, resulting in a $112-million drop in revenue, according to a statement from its president, Janet Morrison."

  9. VIDEO: Night train renaissance: For a greener trip, Europe's rolling back to the past (CBC) I love this. "It's 11 p.m., and in the palatial central train station in Bologna, Italy, one platform is becoming a gathering point for bleary-eyed passengers, neck pillows and luggage in tow. Among them is four-year-old Dyuthi Mantaih and her father, Nagendra. 'We are from India, actually, so we are used to travelling on night trains,' he said. But it will be their first time on board a NightJet, a new generation of sleeper trains from the Austrian national railway company ÖBB."

  10. VIDEO: More and more places are asking for tips. Hidden cameras reveal who is and isn't getting them (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #Beware. "Be it buying a burger and fries or getting your car repaired, enter your credit or debit card into a machine and you might get a not-so-subtle nudge: how much would you like to tip? But a hidden camera investigation involving 100 businesses by CBC's Marketplace has exposed there's no guarantee the tip you leave is going to the person it was intended for."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Cost of Convenience (Truthiness) Are you sleepwalking through your life?

  2. On Wine — Three Seconds in the Mind of a Sommelier or Why a Lot of Knowledge Can be a Hindrance (Philosophy of Wine) I like wine. I liked this article. That is why.

  3. Why You Should Abandon Time Blocking and Use This Instead (Change Your Mind) Especially when someone runs over your productive time.

  4. 3 Profoundly Mind-Awakening Books You’ve Most Probably Never Seen Before (Books Are Our Superpower) Wow...just wow.

  5. Why I run (Mike Thomson) Why do you run?

  6. New handbook on AI and Philanthropy (Swiss Foundations) This is so great.

  7. You Destroy Your Authority With These 5 Stupid Daily Habits (Management Matters) Umm, I do all of these (good grief).

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. 'Historic' $30M donation to support 11 disability organizations (CBC) CANADIAN STORY What a beautiful and transformative gift. "The Slaight Family Foundation, a charity founded by late media mogul and philanthropist Allan Slaight, announced the large gift [...] on International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Giving Tuesday. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto and the Rick Hansen Foundation in Richmond, B.C. will help lead the investment that funds a partnership between the 11 organizations to provide solutions for Canadians with a disability and address inequities."

  2. Quebecor makes historic $10 million donation to the Fondation du CHU de Québec (Quebecor) QUEBEC STORY "Quebecor proudly announced today that it has donated $10 million to the Fondation du CHU de Québec’s $60 million campaign in support of the new hospital complex, the NCH."

  3. Philanthropist provides major gifts totaling $85 million to SW Florida nonprofits (Herald-Tribune) "Tom Golisano, the founder of Paychex and a national philanthropist, recently awarded gifts totaling $85 million to 41 organizations in Southwest Florida, including multiple nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee counties."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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