Weekly News Recap: April 10, 2026

Weekly News Recap: April 10, 2026

Calvin Bishell is a rancher based in Veteran, Alta. He says calving season is a crucial time for producers. (Nadeer Hashmi/CBC)

What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do. — Timothy Ferriss

AFP COMPASS

Hey fundraisers! One of the must-attend conferences of the year is almost here. AFP Compass takes place May 3 - 5, 2026 in Calgary, bringing together some of the sector’s most thoughtful leaders and practitioners. With 35+ sessions (including four led by the ViTreo team), you’ll gain practical insights and fresh perspectives to elevate your work. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with AFP Global Chair Roger Ali and former AFP Global Chair Andrea McManus along with peers from across the region who drive meaningful impact everyday. And of course, there’s plenty of time to reconnect with friends, meet new colleagues, and build relationships with others empowering important missions and causes. Registration is now open. See you there!

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • From clothing to comfort: Memory bears help Cranbrook families grieve (CBC) CRANBROOK STORY Love this! "In Cranbrook, B.C., volunteers Deb Smithurst and Barb Fenwick are turning clothing belonging to loved ones who have passed away into hand-sewn memory bears — small keepsakes made from shirts, sweaters and even wedding dresses."

  • VIDEO: At 80 years old, he braves the Saskatchewan winter on a bicycle (CBC) GRAVELBOURG STORY #Inspiring "Retired lawyer Louis Stringer is always on the move. He regularly cycles the roads of his community of Gravelbourg, 200 km southwest of Regina, in summer and winter."

  • VIDEO: The Innu Nation flag is on board for the Artemis II moon mission (CBC) NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR STORY "As the Artemis II makes its way [home], it carries the Innu Nation flag along with it [...] Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen has a very special item packed with his belongings on the shuttle. An Innu Nation flag — a gift from the community — is now travelling through outer space."

  • VIDEO: Rescued raven learns to imitate 'dramatic' sneeze of Prince George shelter operator (CBC) PRINCE GEORGE STORY Birds are so smart ;-) "Ravens and crows are known as talented mimics, but one particular bird is catching attention for his unusual, and ear-shattering, choice of impression."

  • In the age of autocorrect, this typewriter shop owner in Hamilton wants you to write with intention (CBC) HAMILTON STORY I heart typewriters. "Jonathan Marshall says the goal of his new typewriter repair shop is to get people thinking more intentionally about the words they use. Typewriters, he says, are one of the best mechanisms with which to do that. 'Using a modern word processor, my writing is a bit sloppy because I’m able to make mistakes,' Marshall said, but when he writes using a typewriter knowing a mistake could mean restarting, it focuses his mind."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment Canadian seniors pulled their own KitKat heist (CBC) OAKVILLE STORY Ha! This is great. "Staff members Katie Hourigan and Judie Gibbons tell The National about the moment they made a video recreating the recent KitKat heist at a seniors' residence in Oakville, Ont."

  • Yukon man grows pineapple at home — and it only took 9 years (CBC) YUKON STORY #DedicationPaysOff "Alex Oberg is not the first person to grow a pineapple in the North, but he may well be the most dedicated. It took nine years, from when he first adopted the leafy pineapple crown that some friends had rooted in water, until he was finally able to bite into a golden, homegrown fruit. 'If you're patient, then good things will come to you,' Oberg said."

  • VIDEO: 5-year-old B.C. boy celebrates birthday at recycling centre (CBC) MAPLE RIDGE STORY #RecyclingNerd "For most people, recycling is a chore. But five-year-old Himmat Rai says it's his 'favourite thing to do.' And to mark his passion for recycling, Rai and over a dozen of his classmates celebrated his fifth birthday at the local recycling centre [...] The Ridge Meadows Recycling Society (RMRS), which runs the Maple Ridge Recycling Centre, said it's the first time it's celebrated a birthday party in over 50 years of operation."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment an escaped kangaroo spent 3 days on the run (CBC) "Debbie Marland, owner of Sunshine Farms, tells The National about the moment Chesney the kangaroo escaped and spent three days on the run after being spooked by hunting dogs."

  • VIDEO: Volunteer pilot rescues animals from northern Sask. (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY #Hero "La Ronge pilot Paul Ricklefs volunteers for Canadian Wings of Rescue, helping transport animals in need."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. A Calgary Museum Reinvents Itself (The Tyee) CALGARY STORY This is going to be amazing! "Staff at Calgary’s Glenbow Museum are gearing up to install its vast collection in its renovated home, called the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture [...] Amidst hammers and drills echoing in the background — as well as the 'oohs; and 'ahhs' let out by the odd visitor touring the 312,000-square-foot building — archivists and curators are diligently preparing 36 exhibitions for the museum’s 2027 reopening."

  2. South Okanagan woman suing after falling off toilet at Tim Hortons (Castnet) OKANAGAN STORY 😬 "A South Okanagan woman has filed a lawsuit after falling off the toilet at a local Tim Hortons. In a publicly filed lawsuit, a woman who Castanet will refer to as H.M. claims she was severely injured and that the operators of the Tim Hortons were negligent."

  3. VIDEO: The new space race: Why the U.S. and China are racing to the moon (CBC) "NASA's Artemis program has drawn attention for its plan to send astronauts around the moon. But behind that mission is a broader strategic push: a new race between the United States and China to return humans to the lunar surface. This time, the race is about more than flags and footprints. The country that gets there first could gain an advantage in choosing where to build future lunar infrastructure, setting technical standards and shaping the next phase of space exploration."

  4. VIDEO: When did Easter become 'spring Christmas'? Stressed parents would like to know (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT I have been there. "It creeps up on you, doesn't it? One year, possibly (probably) pre-children, you vow never to get sucked into the consumerism, performance and stress of over-celebrating every holiday. 'I'll keep it simple,' you swear, somewhere around your child's first set of family-matching Christmas pyjamas. 'We won't go overboard,' you mutter to yourself as you buy Halloween cookies for your six-year-old's 'boo bucket' and arrange a dozen pumpkins on your porch. 'Never again,' you promise, as you vacuum up 3,000 foil shamrocks and, in the background, your children play with their St. Patrick's Day yo-yos."

  5. VIDEO: What the cluck is up with chicken breasts? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #WoodyChickens "To some Albertans, grocery store chicken breasts have been tasting a bit strange. As the CBC's Tristan Mottershead reports, woody chicken might be the culprit."

  6. VIDEO: Cold front: Inside NATO's race to secure the Arctic (CBC) CANADIAN STORY More please. "No matter where you go and who you talk with in defence circles these days, there's one word — one region — on the lips of most people. The Arctic. And it's spoken with a unique, newfound sense of urgency. Defending the region has become the new rallying cry for Canada and NATO writ large."

  7. Alberta town takes DIY approach to tackle long-standing livestock vet shortage (CBC) ALBERTA STORY #Brilliant "The region has a tremendous number of cattle in the area, according to Paintearth County Reeve Stan Schulmeister, so a need for full-time animal care — especially large animals — is a major concern for the community. Paintearth County, together with the Town of Coronation, is now getting creative to try to tackle the problem. Through the Paintearth Economic Partnership Society, a partnership between the county, Coronation, Castor and Halkirk, they rented a former pipeline facility, invested about $55,000 to outfit the space with cattle-handling equipment, worked with a rural veterinarian to get it licensed and built a clinic in the hopes of attracting a vet to the community."

  8. More restaurants, bars are banning phones (Morning Brew) I like this trend. "The next time you’re out to dinner, someone might not only ask to take your jacket, they may want you to hand over your phone, too. The number of bars and restaurants establishing a phone-free environment is growing, per Axios—a change that appeals to younger patrons. Axios found that at least 11 states have individual restaurants or bars with a form of phone restriction or digital detox. Scrolling a menu instead of your phone is thought to create a more intimate setting, lead to more focus on food, and protect patron privacy."

  9. VIDEO: ‘It’s just intimidating': Why many Calgary residents no longer feel safe (CBC) "Perceptions of public safety slipped, in part, because of what Brouwers calls 'a shift in context' at the end of the pandemic. After years of lockdowns, social distancing and remote work, people weren’t used to seeing so much social disorder in their day-to-day life."

  10. VIDEO: If Not Hockey, What? Lanny McDonald Reveals His Other Sport (Calgary Booster Club) Love the 'Stache' "What do you ask a Hockey Hall of Famer, Stanley Cup champion, and Calgary icon who has done it all in hockey? You ask him what he would have done instead. In our newest video series, the Calgary Booster Club sits down with some of Canada’s greatest athletes to ask one simple but fascinating question: If you couldn’t play your sport, what sport would you pick?"

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. 5 Incredibly Useful and Fun Websites to try out (Kaushik Nun) You're welcome.

  2. Quotes That Will Instantly Brighten Your Day (Andy C Murphy) Got to love a good quote.

  3. Five principles to lead a good life (CBC) So simple but also so deep.

  4. VIDEO: The Complete History of the Polaroid Camera (And Why It Never Really Died) (Moss & Fog) They are just the best! Watching a picture form before your eyes. #Mesmerizing

  5. VIDEO: How to stop your soda from exploding, according to science (Popular Science) I needed this tip.

  6. The Retrospective Is Your Most Important Meeting. You’re Doing It Wrong. (Analysts Corner) Some good meeting-fu here.

  7. Why Doesn’t Training Increase Our Max Heart Rate? (Runner's Life) I have always wondered.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Beem Credit Union Launches Purple Cap Awards (BEEM Credit Union) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "Beem Credit Union is unveiling a new bursary program aimed at expanding access to education and empowering the next generation of learners across British Columbia. The new bursaries are part of one of the largest, most accessible, credit union led education investment programs in Canada. With up to $1 million available annually, individual awards of up to $25,000, and eligibility designed to support learners at every stage of life, the Purple Cap Awards are among the most flexible education bursary programs in the country."

  2. VIDEO: Saskatchewan Polytechnic receives $5-million gift from Cameco for innovative mining education at the new Joseph A. Remai Saskatoon Campus (Saskatchewan Polytechnic) "Saskatchewan Polytechnic has received a landmark $5-million gift from global nuclear energy leader Cameco to support the institution’s Time to Rise campaign and the construction of the new Joseph A. Remai Saskatoon Campus."

  3. L.A. Times: $110-Million Donation Seeks to Address Shortage of Southern California Mental Health Workers (CSUDH Newsletter) "UCLA, Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills will receive $110 million to bolster their mental health programs, providing financial assistance and clinical resources to students seeking to fill the gaps of a major statewide shortage in the field of social work [T]he universities announced that the Ballmer Group — an investment group owned by Connie and Steve Ballmer, owner of the Clippers and former Microsoft chief executive — would support an effort to expand social work, youth counseling and mental health programs in underserved neighborhoods, including South and East L.A."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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 President & CEO 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.

Vincent DuckworthComment