Weekly News Recap: February 28, 2020

Weekly News Recap: February 28, 2020

Premier Jason Kenney shares a laugh with dignitaries at the Peter Lougheed Centre in northeast Calgary on Wednesday. JIM WELLS / POSTMEDIA

There is nothing new in art except talent. -- Anton Chekhov

This week's highlights

Last week's most popular stories

Inspiration

  • A dancer is promoting ballet in poor communities in the most inspiring way (indy100) This is so inspiring. Thanks to Dan Pallotta for sharing this story. "Aesha is no longer performing, having retired in 2008, but she now wants to use her experience and career to help other African-American girls realise their dreams. In 2011 she set up The Swan Dreams Project which aims to promote the art of ballet in these neighbourhoods in order to change stereotypes and misconceptions about black women. She recalled how clichéd and uninspiring images of women were in her youth so she decided to take pictures of herself in a tutu all over Rochester." 2/27/20

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Coronavirus

  • WHO reluctant to declare COVID-19 pandemic as coronavirus spreads to more countries (CBC) "The number of new coronavirus infections inside China — the source of the outbreak — was for the first time overtaken by fresh cases elsewhere [...] with Italy and Iran emerging as new epicentres of the rapidly spreading illness. Asia reported hundreds of new cases, Brazil confirmed Latin America's first COVID-19 infection and the new disease was also detected for the first time in Pakistan, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Romania and Algeria. U.S. health authorities, managing 59 cases so far — mostly Americans repatriated from a cruise ship in Japan — have said a global pandemic is likely." 2/26/20

  • Wash Your Hands. No, Like This. (New York Times) Also, they feature a great related clip from Heath Science Centre Winnipeg. "Scientists say that a common technique for applying hand sanitizer, one recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is inferior to an alternative method with twice as many steps." 4/20/16

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Passages

  • Katherine Johnson Dies at 101; Mathematician Broke Barriers at NASA (New York Times) "They asked Katherine Johnson for the moon, and she gave it to them. Wielding little more than a pencil, a slide rule and one of the finest mathematical minds in the country, Mrs. Johnson, who died at 101 [...] at a retirement home in Newport News, Va., calculated the precise trajectories that would let Apollo 11 land on the moon in 1969 and, after Neil Armstrong’s history-making moonwalk, let it return to Earth." 2/24/20

  • Gary Harris’s generosity helped shape our college, and our city, writes Joel Ward (Red Deer Advocate) RED DEER STORY A lovely letter from recently-retired RDC President Joel Ward. Longtime Red Deer resident and philanthropist, Gary Harris, passed away on February 15. A lasting and fitting legacy for Mr. Harris is the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, already a much-loved landmark along Alberta's main highway, Highway 2. RIP Mr. Harris. We will not see your like again. "I liked Gary immediately upon meeting him. He was kind, generous and modest. But most interestingly, he was fascinated with education and its impact on people and communities. He was talking my language and we easily slipped into a wide-ranging discussion on the college and its future." 2/21/20

  • Robert H. Lee, Vancouver real estate magnate and philanthropist, dead at 86 (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY "Vancouver real estate magnate and philanthropist Robert H. Lee has died at the age of 86 [...]. Lee, known as Bob, was the founder of the real estate firm Prospero Group and one of B.C.'s wealthiest people, but he was perhaps best known for his contributions to the community [...]. For 23 years, he volunteered on the board of governors and was chancellor from 1993 to 1996. In the 1980s while on the board, he pioneered the idea of turning previously undeveloped university endowed land into leasehold market housing." 2/20/20

  • Remembering Chuck Moser (Spark) I worked with Chuck at the UofA. He was a great friend, colleague and mentor. RIP Chuck. We will not see your like again. "Chuck Moser [...] was the heart and soul of Golden Bears and Pandas Athletics ever since joining the Athletic department in 1966. Moser will be remembered for not only the time and dedication he gave to University Athletics, but also his energy and humour, and the positive impact he had on so many lives. Moser passed away on February 19th, 2020 at the age of 80." 2/19/20

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News

  • B.C.'s maritime museum finds new home in Langford (CBC) VICTORIA STORY "The museum, which explores the maritime history and culture of the Pacific Northwest, is currently located in downtown Victoria, but has been looking to relocate since its building in Bastion Square was declared seismically unsound. Now the museum has signed a deal to be part of a new $87-million conference centre and performing arts theatre planned in Langford, a city within the Capital Regional District. The city, which is providing the land, put up $30 million for the project, with the museum providing the remaining $57 million." 2/26/20

  • Maria Sharapova announces her retirement from tennis (CBC) Amazing career! "Maria Sharapova quietly walked away from tennis at the age of 32 [...] ending a career that featured five Grand Slam titles, time at No. 1 in the WTA rankings and a 15-month doping ban." 2/26/20

  • Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools introduces Kathleen Finnigan as interim superintendent of schools (RD News Now) RED DEER STORY "The Board of Trustees at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) has formally introduced its new interim superintendent of schools following the sudden firing of former superintendent [Paul Mason]. Kathleen Finnigan will take on the role as interim superintendent of schools at RDCRS. For the past 34 years, Finnigan has been a teacher, school counsellor, vice-principal, principal, associate superintendent of inclusive learning, and associate superintendent of personnel at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools." 2/25/20

  • 'It's great!' Emergency goalie David Ayres describes star treatment (CBC) TORONTO STORY I love this story! "David Ayres, the 42-year-old emergency goaltender who helped the Carolina Hurricanes win an NHL game in Toronto, has become a sudden star, appearing on major U.S. networks. Raleigh, N.C. has declared a 'David Ayres Day.'" 2/25/20

  • Four downtown Calgary office buildings, including old Nexen tower, sit empty (CBC) CALGARY STORY "While Calgary's downtown vacancy rate has improved ever so slightly from its 25.7 per cent high in 2017, there are four buildings in the core with no office tenants whatsoever. The most significant of the four is at 801 Seventh Avenue S.W. — formerly known as the Nexen building — which emptied out when Nexen moved all of its employees to The Bow building last year. It offers prospective tenants approximately 600,000 square feet of office space." 2/25/20

  • Dolly Parton superfan working to bring country icon's reading program to Prince Albert children (CBC) PRINCE ALBERT STORY "When Kurtis Hamel was 12 years old, the Children's Wish Foundation helped him meet his idol Dolly Parton. Now, 30 years later, the teacher is combining his love of Parton and his passion for early childhood literacy. Hamel is working to bring one of the singer's philanthropic projects to Prince Albert, Sask." 2/24/20

  • The $20B Frontier mine shelved amid escalating rail blockades; CEO says Canada must reconcile climate and oil (Calgary Herald) ALBERTA STORY "In a letter to the environment minister [...] Teck chief executive Don Lindsay said the company made the decision as protests against a separate pipeline project stretch into their second week, blocking rail lines across the country and occupying public spaces. Lindsay said the Frontier project put his company 'squarely at the nexus' of much deeper-lying tensions in Canada between natural resource extraction and First Nation land claims." 2/24/20

  • U of L recognized with international communications and marketing awards (University of Lethbridge) LETHBRIDGE STORY Congrats. I was at the award ceremony. It was wonderful to see UofL take home so many awards. "The Best of CASE Awards recognize excellence in advancement services, alumni relations, annual giving, philanthropy and marketing and communications at the District VIII Annual Conference. This year, the U of L was recognized for the [six] awards." 2/24/20

  • Alberta's own Blue Lagoon? Nordik Spa comes to the Foothills (CBC) CALGARY STORY Yes! "If there's no volcanic rock ready to heat healing pools, Groupe Nordik owner Martin Paquette says why not build it? A 10-acre thermal cycle spa is coming to Harmony, a community west of Calgary right beside the Springbank Airport. And, it will utilize an existing man-made lake as part of the spa." 2/24/20

  • Jason Kenney announces $40M for 'renewal' of Glenbow Museum (CBC) CALGARY STORY Woot! Great news. "Alberta Premier Jason Kenney pledged $40 million [...] for the renovation and 'complete renewal' of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. The institution, which houses art and historical artifacts, is seeking a total of $115 million to complete the project." 2/21/20

  • Violinist plays Mahler and Gershwin as surgeons remove brain tumour (CBC) "A patient at a British hospital played Mahler and Gershwin on the violin while a tumour was removed from her brain so that surgeons could preserve her ability to play music and honour her 40-year passion for the instrument. Dagmar Turner, 53, a former management consultant from the Isle of Wight, played her violin during an operation to remove a tumour from the right frontal lobe of her brain — close to the area that controls the fine movement of her left hand." 2/19/20

  • Alberta government commits $137M for Calgary hospital expansion (CBC) CALGARY STORY ViTreo is honoured to be working with the Calgary Health Trust on a project that involves the PLC. We are so happy to see this investment. Congrats to all. "The Alberta government says it will fund an expansion at one of Calgary's busiest hospitals. The Peter Lougheed Centre, which was built in 1988, is to receive $137 million to enlarge its emergency room and to provide more mental health services. The project is expected to be completed by 2024." 2/19/20

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First Peoples of Canada

  • Distant star and planet get new Cree names following national contest (folio) ALBERTA STORY "A giant planet 344 light-years from Earth and the star it orbits have new names in the Cree language, thanks to a national contest. The star HD136418 and its exoplanet HD136418b were renamed Nikâwiy (pronounced NI-gah-wee) and Awasis (pronounced ah-wah-sis), which translate into English as 'my mother' and 'child.'" 2/26/20

  • 10 years later, Indigenous tourism still reaps the benefits of the 2010 Olympics (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY "Business has grown steadily for years, [Candace Campo] says. But it was leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games that she really started to notice a rise in demand. 'The promotion of our Indigenous communities for the Olympics was really strong and as a small tour company it really did benefit us'" she said." 2/22/20

  • Research team from B.C.'s Camosun College turns The Witness Blanket into virtual reality (CBC) VICTORIA STORY "Art commemorating the tragic legacy of residential schools may soon be available in isolated First Nations through a virtual reality project spanning Western Canada. The Witness Blanket is a major art installation at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Man., that recognizes the pain visited on Indigenous people during the residential school era. It has already toured Canada for several years, but mounting the large-scale exhibit in remote areas is a challenge." 2/22/20

  • Saskatchewan-born stylist brings Indigenous culture to mainstream fashion world (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY "A woman from the Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan wants to make Indigenous style more common in the mainstream media and on the red carpet. After an eight-year career in the U.S. navy, Robin Cote, who is Saulteaux and Sioux, decided to follow her dream of becoming a stylist. So she moved to Los Angeles." 2/19/20

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Audio: Books and podcasts you need

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Seven life and career hacks -- one for each day of the week

  1. What It Takes to Sustain Truly Creative Work (Human Parts) You made a change in your life but it is not working. This article might help with that. 2/4/20

  2. 11 Phrases That People Love to Hear (P.S. I Love You) #4 is one of my favourites. 2/3/20

  3. My Top 5 Favorite Productivity Apps (Assemblage) I am personally in love with Ulysses (the app not the person/book). 2/1/20

  4. How to Remember More of What You Read (The Forge) "The good reader [...] goes beyond knowledge, goes beyond emotions and perspective-taking, into a realm where the furthest reaches of our thoughts can be generated. The ultimate goal of reading shouldn’t just be memorization, but reflection and insight." 1/22/20

  5. How to use serotonin to hack your productivity (Prototype Year) Or...how we are like lobsters. 1/19/20

  6. Use the Pareto principle to simplify your life (The Startup) A simple principle and one that I continue to have utter faith in. And, yes, applying it to your calendar will change your life. 1/1/20

  7. The only 2020 trend report a designer needs (UX Collective) Gold, I tell ya. Pure gold! 12/23/19

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Uncommon knowledge

  • 'Doomsday' food vault in the Arctic to welcome one millionth crop seed variety (CBC) "A vault in the Arctic built to preserve seeds for rice, wheat and other food staples will contain one million varieties with the addition [...] of specimens grown by Cherokee Indians and the estate of Britain's Prince Charles. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, built on an Arctic mountainside in 2008, was designed as a storage facility to protect vital crop seeds against the worst cataclysms of nuclear war or disease and safeguard global food supplies. Dubbed the 'doomsday vault,' the facility lies on the island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, halfway between Norway and the North Pole, and is only opened a few times a year in order to preserve the seeds inside." 2/25/20

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Opinion

  • OPINION | Why Calgary can't claim the 'maverick' logo anymore (CBC) CALGARY STORY "'Maverick' is a metonym for curiosity and innovation, implying people who are risk-taking, forward-looking, and creative [...]. But I'm not sure we can claim the maverick logo anymore. Its positive aspects have been rustled into a mixture of bad temper and self-righteousness. We're suffering a case of protracted road rage worse than the flu, travelling with our elbows out, careless of penalties. And the streak of indignation fuelling that aggression isn't pretty [...]. Another report claims that Albertans are dissatisfied with democracy, without pointing out that only in a democracy can we exercise the freedom to be dissatisfied. But grievance-mongering has fuelled a toxic culture with little room for the buoyancy of optimism." 2/24/20

  • OPINION | If Calgary wants to attract young people, it needs to start telling a new story (CBC) CALGARY STORY "So why are they turning away from Calgary? In part, it's a reflection of the lack of economic opportunities, which used to be the city's most popular calling card. While growing tech sectors elsewhere continue to attract younger Canadians, Calgary's oil and gas industry is doing the opposite. 'Young people aren't going into the oil and gas business because of the ups and downs,' industrial and organizational psychologist Laura Hambley told the JWN Energy news site last year. 'This recession has been brutal.' There's also the fact that oil and gas doesn't have the same cachet as tech enjoys." 2/20/20

  • Diversity will make women’s philanthropy more impactful (Seattle Times) "Women are changing the face of philanthropy, and with that, the world. For the first time in history, women hold more than 40% of worldwide wealth. One place where that’s made huge waves is in charitable giving, a field that, much like technology or politics, has long been dominated by men." 2/19/20

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Philanthropic personalities

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Philanthropic controversy

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Trends and shifts

  • Albertans still make the most money, but other provinces are catching up (CBC) ALBERTA STORY *"Most Canadians have seen their incomes rise over the past few years but things have been going in the opposite direction for people living in Alberta. Median after-tax income in the province fell by 3.3 per cent from 2015 to 2018, according to the latest Statistics Canada data, marking the largest decline of all provinces. The only other province to see a decline over that time was Saskatchewan, where the median shrank by 1.1 per cent, in inflation-adjusted terms (constant 2018 dollars). Every other province saw income gains and, across Canada, the median grew by 4.1 per cent." 2/26/20

  • Will tech be Alberta's next big thing? Industry and schools are a hard yes (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Post secondary schools, worker transition programs and the energy industry are putting a lot of their eggs in the tech basket, hoping it can become a more stable economic pillar than the highs and lows of oil and gas, experts tell CBC News." 2/21/20

  • Alberta's privacy commissioner joins national investigation of facial recognition technology (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Alberta's privacy commissioner is taking part in a national investigation of facial recognition technology supplied by U.S. firm Clearview AI [...]. Lauren Reid, president of Toronto-based privacy consulting company The Privacy Pro, said a joint investigation like this is not uncommon. 'This type of technology and this type of data collection doesn't really happen in a single jurisdiction, it happens in cyberspace,' she said. 'It's borderless.' The Canadian privacy watchdogs will look at whether the company's practices comply with Canadian privacy legislation." 2/22/20

  • JP Morgan economists warn climate crisis is threat to human race (The Guardian) "The world’s largest financier of fossil fuels has warned clients that the climate crisis threatens the survival of humanity and that the planet is on an unsustainable trajectory, according to a leaked document. The JP Morgan report on the economic risks of human-caused global heating said climate policy had to change or else the world faced irreversible consequences. The study implicitly condemns the US bank’s own investment strategy and highlights growing concerns among major Wall Street institutions about the financial and reputational risks of continued funding of carbon-intensive industries, such as oil and gas." 2/21/20

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Stats and facts

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Reports and studies

  • GROWING GIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA (CAF Online) "It is a pleasure to present CAF's in depth report into South Africa’s rich giving culture. This important piece of work was borne of our desire, alongside our partners here and abroad, to both identify the roadblocks and the opportunities to growing individual charitable giving." Undated

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Large gifts

  • Alberta’s Lakeland College gets $4M gift from ranchers to buy land, establish bison herd (Global News) LLOYDMINSTER STORY "Lakeland College announced [...] that it has received a $4-million donation to establish and buy land for a bison herd at the east-central Alberta school. The donation was made by Armin and Rita Mueller, owners of Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk. The college said it will serve to benefit the animal science technology program at its campus in Vermilion, Alta." ViTreo is proud to have worked with Lakeland College on this campaign. Congrats to all involved. 2/25/20

  • Vancouver Art Gallery Secures $1.5 Million Donation for New Building (Vancouver Skyrise) VANCOUVER STORY "The Vancouver Art Gallery has secured a $1.5 million donation to go towards a new building designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The latest injection of funds puts total contributions from the private sector at $86.5 million, the most ever raised by an arts and culture organization in British Columbia. [VAG] names Canadian art dealer Donald Ellis as the generous benefactor." 2/25/20

  • Union College Receives Record $51 Million Donation (WAMC) "Union College has received the largest single donation in its 225-year history. It was a celebratory atmosphere with aerial acrobats, dancers, and a drumline as College President David Harris broke the news in Schenectady [...]. 'I’m excited to announce that Mary and Rich Templeton, Union College Class of 1980, have committed $51 million to the Powering Union campaign,' Harris said." Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. 2/24/20

  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) welcomes $10 million donation from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fight Desert Locust upsurge in East Africa (Africa News) "FAO Director-General QU Dongyu today welcomed a $10 million donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the fight against the Desert Locust upsurge in East Africa as the UN agency expanded its appeal. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said its donation would assist FAO as it supports governments in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia to combat locust infestation that is posing a significant threat to food production and livelihoods in the region." 2/24/20

  • Penn State THON raises more than $11.6 million for pediatric cancer patients (WTAE) This is a ton of money form a dance marathon. Wow! "Thousands of Penn State students and volunteers have raised more than $11.6 million dollars for pediatric cancer patients in the annual 46-hour dance marathon known as THON. The $11,696,942.38 total was [...] at the conclusion of the Penn State Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, billed as the world's largest student-run philanthropy." 2/23/20

  • UNLV receives $9 million donation for tribal gaming research, education (NBC) "The University of St. Thomas has received a record-setting $50 million gift for undergraduate student scholarships from a Minnesota philanthropy started by one of its most accomplished alumni, real estate developer Gerald Rauenhorst." 2/21/20

  • Durham University's £7.5m donation will aid poorer students (BBC) "Durham University has received a £7.5m donation, of which £2m will be used for scholarships for local people from poorer backgrounds.The gift, from food wholesale boss Charles Wilson and partner Rowena Olegario, is the university's largest ever and described as 'transformative'." 2/20/20

  • University of Michigan plans new real estate center with $10 million donation (Crain's Detroit) "The University of Michigan plans to use a new $10 million donation to create a real estate center at its Stephen M. Ross School of Business. The Ann Arbor-based university will launch the Weiser Center for Real Estate, funded by a gift from UM Regent and alumnus [Ron Weiser]." 2/20/20

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Welcome to our recap of the week's news, articles, and information of note. ViTreo Group Inc. provides this information for the benefit of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders. The content is collected and curated by ViTreo partner Vincent Duckworth. If you would like to submit a link for consideration, please send an email to info@vitreogroup.ca

The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by ViTreo Group Inc. of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. ViTreo Group does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the ViTreo Group Inc. Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate.

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