Weekly News Recap: August 14, 2026

Weekly News Recap: August 14, 2026

A Canadair CL-415 aircraft (known as Pelican 33) drops water during a demonstration during a visit of French Interior minister as part of the launch of the national wildfire prevention campaign in Nimes, southern France, in June. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP.

Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife. -- Johannes Kepler

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • This pet hamster is probably logging more kilometres on Strava than you (CBC) Turns out, his hamster is getting more "likes" on Strava than he is. :-) "Thijs de Buck is coming to terms with the fact his pet hamster is both a better and more popular runner than he is. Mollie has become something of a star in the running world after de Buck, a Dutch physicist, rigged a system to track the critter's movements on the running app Strava."

  • Dogs can tell when humans are happy, sad or angry, study shows (The Globe and Mail) I am not the least bit surprised. Our dog is very attuned to our emotions. Thanks to Recap contributor, Mick Mulloy, for this story. "A peek inside dogs’ brains revealed man’s best friend can distinguish emotions in people’s faces, researchers at the University of Vienna have found, providing what they said was the first ever evidence of such an ability. In the study, researchers used machine learning to analyze brain scans of 12 dogs as the animals viewed images of human faces displaying different [emotions.]"

  • MULTIMEDIA: Beyond words (The Globe and Mail) NOVA SCOTIA STORY A beautiful article. Thanks to Recap contributor, Mick Mulloy, for this story. "In Nova Scotia, Mi'kmaq work to revive the oldest known writing system in Canada."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Court gives University of Alberta permission to dissolve research fund named after Ukrainian SS veteran (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY Nice work! "Court of King's Bench Justice Debra Yungwirth said her task was to decide whether U of A could legally terminate the trust — not to determine 'whether Yaroslav is a Nazi or a war criminal.' After a review of the law, she found the university was within its rights to return the money."

  2. VIDEO: Saskatchewan water skier rides golden momentum into nationals (CBC) LAC PELLETIER STORY We have a lake house at Lac Pelletier. We have watched Dylan practice in the early mornings for years. Well done Dylan. We wish you well at the nationals. "You wouldn’t think stopping a puck would have much in common with a tight turn on water skis. For Lac Pelletier’s Dylan Wall, being a hockey goaltender and a Western Canadian champion water skier are similar tests of mental strength. 'Do what you know you can do,' Wall said. 'Stick to your training, stick to your coaching, know what you can do and don't get too worked up about it.' "

  3. Adult summer camps offer grown-ups a chance to get away from it all (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Sounds fun. "Every year, kids across the country spend part of their summer at camp. Whether they're staying at cabins in the forest, or spending days at local community centres, camp is usually filled with crafts, snacks and laughter. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Shelby Sanford thinks so, and she says grown-ups deserve some of that joy, too."

  4. Bezos-backed $200M species project faces greenwashing scrutiny (CBC) "A new $200-million US initiative backed by the Bezos Earth Fund and Leonardo DiCaprio's Re:wild promises to help recover 100 threatened species, including pink iguanas, lemurs, wild pigs and pangolins. The Phoenix Species Project could provide sustained funding for breeding programs, habitat restoration and locally led conservation work. But it also raises a broader question: Can billionaire-backed philanthropy help the environment, while improving donors' green image, despite the environmental records of the businesses that made them rich? The question is becoming more urgent as governments pull back from climate and biodiversity commitments, leaving private funders to fill in the gaps."

  5. VIDEO: Canada, U.S. shadow Chinese research ships in the Arctic as concern grows over Snow Dragons' presence (CBC) CANADIAN STORY This is why we need to spend more time and energy on our North. "Both Canada and the U.S. have been quietly shadowing two Chinese icebreaking research ships in Arctic waters off Alaska over the last couple of weeks. The Xue Long (Snow Dragon) and Xue Long (Snow Dragon) 2 sailed north through the U.S. exclusive economic zone in the Bering Sea in July, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The appearance of Chinese research ships every summer in the Arctic Ocean over the last few years has been a subject of growing concern among security and defence officials."

  6. VIDEO: The world wants more Canadian-made water bombers. Can Canada build them fast enough? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Let's make some more! "As France battled what President Emmanuel Macron called its worst wildfire crisis since the Second World War, his government faced swift criticism over whether it was prepared for the scale of the fires. But another, less likely target soon came into view: Canada. 'We don't have enough Canadairs,' said Didou Deyres, vice-president of the forest fire defence department in Le Porge, where 183 homes burned in late July after flames swept through the pine forests outside Bordeaux. France has 12 of the distinctive yellow water bombers, but Deyres said only seven were flying at the height of the crisis."

  7. Flight to Toronto cancelled over child standing on seat: Porter Airlines (CBC) CANADIAN STORY A note here: Despite the headline, it turns out the child was not being a brat but rather was scared of the seatbelt. "A flight bound for Toronto was cancelled [...] after a young child refused to secure their seatbelt, Porter Airlines has said. Flight PD444 from Victoria International Airport in B.C. to Toronto's Pearson International Airport did not take off as a safety precaution, a spokesperson for Porter Airlines told CBC Toronto in a statement. The aircraft left the terminal and headed to the runway for departure but a young child standing in their seat did not secure their seatbelt, despite attempts by the accompanying parent and cabin crew, Brad Cicero said."

  8. Canada Launches $20.3M Quantum Defence Innovation Secure Hub in Calgary (Quantum Computing) CALGARY STORY Congrats to UCalgary. "Canadian Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty has announced the launch of Canada’s first Quantum Defence Innovation Secure Hub (DISH) in Calgary, Alberta. Operated by a 13-member consortium led by the University of Calgary and its Quantum City initiative—under Managing Director Dr. Megan Lee—the hub will receive $20.3 million CAD over two years to accelerate the transition of domestic quantum research into mission-ready operational capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE)."

  9. VIDEO: Are people actually using Edmonton’s bike lanes? Here’s a look at the numbers (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "Edmonton is no stranger to heated debate about bike lanes, and this summer the issue has made headlines. At a community meeting in Edmonton last month, community members who oppose a plan for new bike lanes in the Capilano neighbourhood were speaking with the province's transportation minister when a herd of cyclists rolled through. 'You’re driving on a one-way road illegally. Do you realize that?” a man, standing on the street, shouted at pro-bike lane rally-goers who were travelling south on 50A Street.' "

  10. Snail-mail clubs deliver on the desire for physical letters (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "If your mail contains nothing but utility bills, takeout flyers and an endless stream of marketing material from local realtors, there's a subscription for that. Creative entrepreneurs are finding their way into people's hearts — and mailboxes — by offering snail-mail subscriptions. For a modest fee, subscribers receive monthly or quarterly letters along with some combination of art, photography, stickers, pressed flowers or other mementos. Data provided to CBC by Pinterest showed that Canadian searches for 'snail mail' were up 169 per cent on July 23 compared to a year earlier. That’s in keeping with the platform’s annual trend-forecasting report, which said to 'expect a letter writing renaissance in 2026, as Gen Z and Millennials turn snail mail into performance art.' "

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. “Stir Clockwise Lest You Invoke the Devil” (Tastyble) I do like me porridge.

  2. As a Sommelier, I Wish More People Knew These Things About Wine (Rooted Publications) Always good to learn more about a delicious beverage.

  3. The 3 Key Books I’m Using to Fill the Math Gaps in My PhD (Cogni.tiva) As you likely know, I am a bit of a math nerd. But I am getting rusty so these might help.

  4. 8 Books To Replace Doomscrolling (The Sunday Journal) This list had me at the 'The Song of Achilles'.

  5. The Only 7 Questions You Need to Recalibrate Your Life (Illumination) I might print these out on a card, they are so good.

  6. Johannes Kepler, not Newton or Einstein, is science’s best role model (Starts With A Bang) We stand on the shoulders of Kepler as we reach for the stars, or the moon, or Mars.

  7. How Whispers Become Systems: The Mathematics of Gossip (The Quantastic Journal) This is LONG read but for those in the human race in a modern time, this is very interesting.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Gates Foundation gives $540 million to UW health institute, the largest gift in university history (Geekwire) "The Gates Foundation broke its own record at the University of Washington with the largest charitable gift in university history: $540.2 million for the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation."

  2. Lethbridge-area farm donates $1 million towards foundation’s Bringing Hearts Home Campaign (Lethbridge News Now) LETHBRIDGE STORY "The Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation has received a $1 million dollar donation from Serfas Farms towards its Bringing Hearts Home campaign."

  3. Giller Prize books $4-million donation from the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation (The Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY "One year ago, Canada’s richest literary award was in dire straits. The $100,000 Giller Prize, awarded annually to the best Canadian work of fiction, had appealed to the federal government for funding, saying it was in 'urgent need of financial assistance.' The government money did not materialize, but the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation has stepped up with a multiyear gift of $4-million in total, which the Giller Prize says will fund an expansion of its year-round programming."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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