Weekly News Recap: March 7, 2025

Weekly News Recap: March 7, 2025

Jeff Douglas, pictured performing his 'I am Canadian' routine from a TV beer commercial in 2000, stars in a new video released Wednesday. (Kevin Frayer/The Canadian Press)

I think that Canada is one of the most impressive countries in the world, the way it has managed a diverse population, a migrant economy. The natural beauty of Canada is extraordinary. Obviously there is enormous kinship between the United States and Canada, and the ties that bind our two countries together are things that are very important to us. – President Barack Obama

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • VIDEO: 'This is insane!' B.C. man gets en-dolphin rush as pod joins him for skim on the ocean (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY This is WILD! "Jerry McArthur is a B.C.-based entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to exploring the ocean. A recent encounter in Howe Sound, north of Vancouver, reminds him of why. McArthur was out on his electric hydrofoil — a propeller-driven ocean glider that he designs and sells — when he was suddenly surrounded by dolphins. Fortunately, he was filming the experience using a 360-degree camera."

  • When a giant snow drift swept across her driveway, it became a canvas (CBC) BRUCE PENINSULA STORY This is awesome (and quintessentially Canadian). "Some artists prefer paper as their canvas of choice — others wood, fabric or even walls. But an artist living on the Bruce Peninsula is trying out something new this winter: the tricky task of painting snow. After snow storms swept through much of southern Ontario in February, snow drifts reaching about 8-feet tall swept across Bailey Moffatt's front yard of her family home. After a plow came to clear the driveway, an idea was born."

  • VIDEO: Captain 'lost for words' after witnessing a super pod of more than 2,000 dolphins (CBC) What is up with these dolphin sightings? #Crazy "Evan Brodsky was scouting for sea creatures on Friday when he hit 'the motherlode.' Brodsky, captain and videographer for a private boat tour company, was out on Monterey Bay south of San Francisco, Calif., on Friday when he and his colleagues found themselves surrounded by thousands of dolphins as far as the eye could see."

  • VIDEO: Rex the dog was trapped on icy Lake St. Clair — but the Lakeshore, Ont., community rallied to save him (CBC) LAKESHORE STORY #Love "It was 28 long hours that Rex the dog was trapped on the ice of Lake St. Clair in Lakeshore, Ont. But the Bondy family says they're overwhelmed after a post about their missing dog launched a community-wide search and rescue operation to bring him home safely this week. Jennifer and Anthony Bondy say the rescue operation felt like a movie with the way people came together to help them out."

  • For the 1st time in Canada, surgeons put teeth in patients' eyes to restore sight (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY Yes, this is weird. But, it is also life changing and...true. "When Brent Chapman's doctor first pitched him on the idea of having one of his own teeth surgically embedded in his eye to restore his sight, he says he felt 'a little apprehensive.' But then he spoke to a woman in Australia who had undergone the same procedure to tremendous success."

  • VIDEO: 'Otter-ly' amazing recovery caught on camera at Metchosin rehab (Saanich News) METCHOSIN STORY I heart otters and especially river otters. "Anyone who wants to peek at a pair of river otters from the safety of their own home can head online before the duo is released from rehab in Metchosin."

  • VIDEO: Watch as this Canadian artist transforms raw lumber into works of art (CBC) PENDER ISLAND STORY Beautiful. "On the quiet shores of Pender Island, Colin Hamilton found his calling as a master of the ancient art form of woodworking. Short documentary produced for CBC Creator Network."

  • Japanese forward ‘King Kazu’ turns 58 and prepares for his 40th season in professional soccer (AP News) #WTH "Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura turned 58 on Wednesday. Happy Birthday to the player known as “King Kazu.” But there’s more to celebrate. He’s also set to start his 40th season in professional soccer, the oldest player in the Japanese Football League."

  • VIDEO: Colorado Woman Donates Kidney to Save Pennsylvania Man 35 Years After They Went to Prom Together (The West News) #Hero "Despite holding the presidency of the student council and being voted most likely to succeed, 16-year-old Shawn Moyer had his prom night invitation declined. Moyer needed a backup, and though he didn’t know it at the time, the young lady with ringlet curls and an ear-to-ear smile he found would end up saving his life 35 years later with a kidney donation."

  • VIDEO: Rare dolphin sighting delights West Vancouver onlookers (CBC) WEST VANCOUVER STORY "It was just another routine stroll for Imaan Jiwa, who often visits the West Vancouver seawall to relax after a busy workday. 'It's kind of like my place of peace,' the Vancouver resident told CBC News. But [...] as she rested on a bench near Ambleside Beach, something extraordinary caught her eye."

  • VIDEO: Hiker rescues pup from abandoned coal pit after frigid weeklong search in Pennsylvania (AP News) "A Pennsylvania hiker had followed his dog off a mountain trail this week when he glanced toward a deep coal pit below and saw a tail move near a pile of rocks. Collin Leiby, an avid hiker and wedding photographer, locked eyes with the animal and knew it was Freddy, a 6-month-old golden retriever whose disappearance had sparked a weeklong search in Pottsville, a community in eastern eastern Pennsylvania’s historic coal country. Leiby had been on alert for the missing dog and finally found him Monday on Sharp Mountain, about 10 feet (3 meters) down the coal pit, too weary to make his way out."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: 'We are Canadian': 25 years later, Joe Canadian is back with a new patriotic video (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #YES We are not now​, nor will we ever be​, the 51st state. "The man behind an iconic Canadian beer ad is back, 25 years later, with a new patriotic rallying cry. But this time, it's not about selling drinks. Jeff Douglas, from Truro, N.S., became a national sensation after starring as flannel-wearing Joe Canadian in Molson Canadian's 2000 ad 'The Rant,' which was a huge success for the beer company and popularized the slogan, 'I am Canadian!' "

  2. VIDEO: Alberta invests $40 Million in final phase of Contemporary Calgary’s Renovation and Expansion (City News) ALBERTA STORY Congrats to all. "The Government of Alberta is investing $40 million in the final phase of Contemporary Calgary's renovation and expansion project."

  3. Bow Valley College President and CEO honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medal (Bow Valley College) CALGARY STORY Congrats to all​, including Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, Dick Haskayne, and Dr. Misheck Mwaba. "Bow Valley College’s President and CEO, Dr. Misheck Mwaba, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, receiving the distinguished honour for his contributions to the community, province, and country. He accepted the prestigious award from Premier Danielle Smith at a ceremony at McDougall Centre in downtown Calgary."

  4. VIDEO: In Ukraine, a mix of anger and pride as Zelenskyy called disrespectful and ordered out of White House (CBC) I try to stay reasonably apolitical in the recap but this was just too much. "As Ukrainian troops try to stave off Russia's military from advancing through the eastern part of the country, they face tens of thousands of enemy soldiers. But when Ukraine's president sat in the Oval Office [...] he faced a different kind of battle — the blunt testiness of the U.S. Trump administration. The combative exchange left Ukraine's allies and many of its citizens in shock and dismay. Yet for others, there was pride in how Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood his ground."

  5. U of A life sciences research gets a $100M lift (Folio) EDMONTON STORY #Woot "Think of it as a state-of-the-art hub for cross-disciplinary collaboration and 'creative collisions' that will help propel Alberta to the forefront of global innovation. The Government of Alberta has contributed $100 million in capital funding to transform the Biological Sciences Building into a dynamic, shared laboratory complex where researchers and students from across the university — along with industry partners — will work on solving the most urgent problems of our time."

  6. Possibility of iconic Family of Man statute move to Contemporary Calgary (LiveWire Calgary) CALGARY STORY The times, they are a-changing. #GoodMove "For decades, the statue Family of Man has adorned the headers and correspondence as the very visual symbol of the Calgary Board of Education. Even though the board has long since moved from their brutalist designed headquarters in the downtown core, next to the park in which the statue is located."

  7. Fight between bald eagle and Canada goose in Burlington bay 'very symbolic,' says photographer (CBC) BURLINGTON STORY "A bald eagle may have thought it spotted an easy lunch in a Canada goose sitting on an icy bay in Burlington, Ont., but according to Mervyn Sequeira — who watched and photographed a 20-minute battle between the two birds — the goose held its own. During his weekly Sunday morning family hike at the LaSalle Marina, Sequeira and his family witnessed a rare event — a fight between the national bird of the U.S. and the iconic Canadian animal."

  8. As arts and humanities enrolment declines, could making programs more practical help? (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Sarah Mei Lyana isn't yet sure what she's going to do after graduation. As a political studies major at Vancouver Island University (VIU) in her second last semester, she's heard what people say about programs in the arts and humanities. 'Some of my friends are just like, 'Oh, what are you going to do with that? How does it help you?' Lyana said. 'It's a little bit demoralizing.' She says she loves what she studies at school, and has learned valuable skills there that are simply part of living a good life, like how to communicate. But the pressure to get a good job is real, and she knows the job market is competitive for folks with general undergraduate degrees."

  9. Explaining the science behind the warmth and the chaos of Calgary’s Chinook winds (Calgary Journal) CALGARY STORY Apparently, they also occur around the world and have names like föehns, Zonda, Northwesters, and Bergs​. "Calgarians know all too well how unpredictable the weather can be, but what causes this unpredictability? Chinook winds — most commonly known as chinooks — cause a considerable temperature change year-round in Calgary and the surrounding area. Yet Calgarians notice these temperature changes in winter when temperatures can drop into the high negatives."

  10. World's biggest iceberg appears to have run aground near remote British island (CBC) "The world's largest iceberg appears to have run aground off the coast of a remote British island home to millions of penguins and seals — potentially threatening local wildlife, but also providing an opportunity for research into such rare 'megabergs.' Known as A23a, the massive slab of ice — roughly the size of Rhode Island and weighing nearly a trillion tonnes — was first reported to be heading toward South Georgia months ago, sparking concerns that it could collide with the island and disrupt the balance for local wildlife."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. These New Emojis Are Coming to Your iPhone With iOS 18.4 (LifeHacker) Look forward to seeing the bag-under-the-eyes emoji from me soon.

  2. The hardest working font in Manhattan (Aresluna) I heart fonts and this ​is a cool one.

  3. The One Reason LEGO Has No Real Competition, And Never Will (Bricks n' Brackets) #LegoMiniFigures That is all.

  4. The secret of good metaphors (UX Design) For all metaphor manglers everywhere (i.e. me).

  5. Why kindness is the key to high performance at work (Fast Company) I once ran a fitness challenge and our team was called Be Kind, Rewind.

  6. Mistakes Everyone Makes When Grilling Chicken (The Takeout) Chicken is amazing but...is also very easy to​ make a mess of. This might help.

  7. The Best Menswear From the 2025 Oscars (Inside Hook) Very dishy #IHeartPrada

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Historic Gift to Transform Cardiac Care in Central Alberta (Todayville) RED DEER STORY Congrats and thank you to the Donald Family. "The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation is honored to announce a historic $10 million donation that will bring life – saving cardiac care to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. This extraordinary gift, generously contributed by Joan Donald, John and Heather Donald, and Peter and Kathy Lacey, is the largest donation in the foundation’s history and will play a critical role in establishing the previously announced interim cardiac catheterization lab at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre."

  2. Grove City College receives single largest donation in its history (WYTV) As a reminder, plann​ed giving works. "Grove City College received the largest single donation in its history — a $70 million gift from the estate of a 1979 graduate. The donation is from the estate of David R. Rathburn, who died in February 2024 after a battle with cancer, according to a news release from the college. Rathburn was an alumnus and successful entrepreneur who had also served on the College’s Board of Trustees for 17 years."

  3. Yuri Fulmer and family donate $2M to Capilano University (BIV) NORTH VANCOUVER STORY Woot! Congrats team. "Capilano University's future centre for childhood studies is set to carry the Fulmer name after that family provided a $2 million gift. Named the Fulmer Family Centre for Childhood Studies, the 23,000-square-foot, two-storey building opens on the university's North Vancouver campus in April, with full operations slated to launch in September. The facility will enable significant growth in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) admissions at Capilano University. The centre will add 20 more ECCE practicum placement spots, on top of the 20 to 25 current on-campus ECCE spots, according to the university."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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