Weekly News Recap: August 29, 2025

Weekly News Recap: August 29, 2025

Winnipeg-based author and poet Sarah Klassen, whose family came to Canada in 1926 from what is now Ukraine, was one of the people interviewed for the University of Winnipeg oral history project. (Travis Golby/CBC)

Family is not an important thing. It's everything. -- Michael J. Fox

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • VIDEO: ‘I went from world champ to mopping floors’: Colin Cummings, the greatest air hockey player of all time (The Guardian) Sure, let's go with it being a sport ;-) "It was he who, at 16, became the youngest ever world champion in the sport – and Cummings is absolutely adamant that air hockey is a sport. And it is he who has relinquished just one of the 13 world championships held over the past decade. Ask the man himself and he is in no doubt over his GOAT status: 'Oh hell yeah, bro, I got to be. I’ve even got a little goat sticker on my mallet.' "

  • Cat gets job helping to train hearing dogs (MSN) Cats and dogs, living together -- apparently it can work (I have not seen that happen for us, there is a definite #DMZ in our house.) "A Siamese cat has been recruited to help train hearing dogs. Frank, who lives in High Wycombe with owner Julie Shute, spends time with dogs to see how they react to him, and assess if the trainee could live with a cat owner."

  • VIDEO: The greatest Bee Gees song of all time, according to Elvis Costello (Far Our Magazine) And this song (no spoilers) is definitely a great song. "There’s a myth going around that precludes the world from untold pleasures: the Bee Gees are a cheesy disco band. The truth is far different. Of course, they are also a cheesy disco band, but prior to the mid-1970s explosion of the genre, they were also a pop band of the classic rock variety. Well, maybe ‘classic rock’ is pushing it, but it was nevertheless apparent that the band were taking influence from the likes of Scott Walker and The Beatles in the early days."

  • VIDEO: Peavey Mart planning comeback in some Alberta communities (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #Yay Long live Peavy Mart! "Peavey Mart is making a comeback. A message posted to the farm goods retailer's website says the brand that closed all its stores earlier in the year is planning to reopen in select Alberta markets. The note says Spruce Grove, Westlock, Camrose and Lacombe will all see Peavey Mart return this fall."

  • VIDEO: Spanish town does 'tomato therapy' in massive food fight (CBC) Looks messy. Looks fun. "Thousands of revellers hurled overripe tomatoes at each other during the Tomatina festival in the Spanish town of Buñol on Wednesday. The annual festival comes about a year after devastating floods hit the region, which was why this year's slogan was 'tomaterapia,' or 'tomato therapy.' "

  • The Onion turned back to print. It brought in over 50,000 new subscribers (CBC) Actually, as of today, they have one more subscriber. #NoJoke "It might sound like a joke in today's digital-first world, but the satirical news outlet The Onion made the leap back to print a year ago. It's paying off: alongside its active website, the print publication now boasts more than 53,000 subscribers."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment a dog helped find a cat missing at B.C. ferry terminal (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY Our second dog and cat story of the day. You're welcome! "Neelya Herbert tells The National about the moment her tuxedo cat Luigi — who'd been missing for over two weeks — was found at a B.C. ferry terminal with a little help from a tracker dog."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: The next generation of smart glasses is getting a push from AI (CBC) I am enjoying my new Rayban Metas very much. #AreYouSurprised "As the battle for AI dominance heats up, Big Tech is coming for your face. A number of companies are going all-in on artificial intelligence-enabled glasses, banking that consumers are ready for a new generation of smart devices with convenient, hands-free features."

  2. VIDEO: Facing declining membership and rising costs, Scouts Canada cuts 30% of staff (CBC) CANADIAN STORY This is sad. "Scouts Canada says it has eliminated nearly one-third of its paid staff positions, as the organization attempts to balance its books in the face of an ongoing deficit of about $5 million."

  3. VIDEO: U of Winnipeg project aims to keep stories of Mennonite immigration to Canada in 1920 from disappearing (CBC) WINNIPEG STORY So many of us in western Canada have some form of Mennonite connection. So glad this research is being undertaken. "Researchers at the University of Winnipeg are working on what they say will be the largest oral history project on Mennonites in the country, trying to capture stories of those who fled the Soviet Union in the 1920s before those stories are lost."

  4. VIDEO: Wolfdog sanctuary receives provincial funding to upgrade facilities as part of provincial Community Facility Enhancement Program (CTV) ALBERTA STORY Congrats to Georgina and her team and thanks to the Government of Alberta. ViTreo is proud to have worked with the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary to help them with their fundraising. "The province is giving a wolfdog sanctuary west of the city funds to upgrade some of its facilities. The money comes from the province’s Community Enhancement Fund. The Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary will use $125,000 to upgrade its day use and interpretative areas."

  5. VIDEO: Record-breaking year for Edmonton Fringe Festival (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Congrats. Still one of the best festivals around. I am a bit biased, as I am a former board member. "North America's oldest and largest theatre festival has set a record for most tickets sold in its 43-year history. The executive director of the Edmonton Fringe Festival says it has broken its all-time box office record set in 2019 and sold 138,500 tickets this summer, which amounts to $1.48 million for its 1,600 artists."

  6. VIDEO: What the heck just happened at the U.S. Open? Mayhem in the crowd as Medvedev melts down (CBC) #MedvedevTheVillain We watched him in person at last year's U.S. Open. The crowd is not kind to him. "They say tennis needs villains. (It also, apparently, needs a $32 Cdn signature cocktail, but that's a thread for later on.) Tennis, a sport of etiquette and tradition, is also known for the occasional player who brings the drama. The spice. The public meltdowns, the confrontational behaviour, the racket-smashing, crowd-dividing "what just happened?" moments of mayhem in between rounds of smacking a ball back and forth."

  7. Bluenose II cancels visit to U.S., cites 'uncertainties' with crossing the border (CBC) NOVA SCOTIA STORY Tough call but likely the right one. "Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador will no longer make its long-awaited return to an American festival this week, with the vessel's operators citing, in part, 'uncertainties' that come with cross-border travel these days. The Lunenburg-based Bluenose II had been scheduled to attend the Gloucester Schooner Festival in northeastern Massachusetts at the end of the month for the first time in seven years."

  8. VIDEO: Cedar the blind baby moose dies 'suddenly and unexpectedly' before transfer to Toronto Zoo (CBC) TORONTO STORY #Sad We shared the story of the adoption of this moose a few recaps back. "A blind baby moose that was set to join the Toronto Zoo after being rescued near Ottawa last month has died. Holly's Haven Wildlife Rescue says it's deeply saddened to share the news about the moose named Cedar, who died 'suddenly and unexpectedly.' "

  9. VIDEO: Male NFL cheerleaders aren't new. So why are people mad about the Minnesota Vikings squad? (CBC) Umm, this is not new. What is the problem? "When the Minnesota Vikings announced their cheerleading team roster earlier this month, they also unleashed an internet firestorm. 'The next generation of cheer has arrived,' the team wrote on Instagram Aug. 9, alongside a video that opened with a smiling Louie Conn jumping into a backflip then dancing and shaking his pom-poms alongside the other dancers, including a bouncing, enthusiastic Blaize Shiek. The response was immediate, with some people on social media leaving offensive remarks and threatening to stop supporting the team."

  10. VIDEO: Stablecoins could transform how we exchange money. The U.S. and China want to take charge (CBC) And...government is now involved in crypto...what could go wrong? "Like a 21st-century space race, the world's biggest economic powers are staking their claim in a little-known type of digital currency that could revolutionize — or severely disrupt — the way people, companies and countries exchange money. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a country's national currency, or to commodities like gold. The idea is that their value is linked to a stable asset, and is therefore less prone to volatility than regular crypto."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. How To Tell If Your Wine Is Corked With Just A Simple Whiff (The Takeout) If it smells musty or sour...it is likely corked.

  2. Neuroscientists Explored How the Brain Reacts — or Doesn’t React — to Music (Inside Hook) Apparently 3% - 5% of the world does not respond to music.

  3. Orcas and the Price of Consciousness: Lessons in Love and Loss from Earth’s Most Successful and Creative Predator (The Marginalian) Orcas really are amazing (and terrifying) creatures.

  4. Batting By The Numbers (The Pudding) For all the Toronto Blue Jays fans out there (I am one), this is a total nerdfest down the 1993 World Series rabbit hole. Enjoy.

  5. Reading These 10 Classic Novels Won’t Feel Like Homework (AARP) These are oldies but goodies.

  6. Why Your Next Vacation Should Be a Skillcation (The Thrillist) I am voting for learning to cook in Italy.

  7. What 100 Mediterranean Grandmothers Shared About Leading Happy Lives (Conde Naste) Grandmas rock! That is all.’

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Hranac estate makes $2.8 million donation to Lethbridge Polytechnic (Lethbridge News Now) LETHBRIDGE STORY Woot! Congrats. "Lethbridge Polytechnic is celebrating the second-largest gift it has ever received. The estate of Joe and Laverna Hranac has given $2.8 million to the institution, which will support operations at the Lethbridge Polytechnic Research Farm."

  2. HIV Alliance uses donations to purchase new space for The Lavender Network (KLCC) Happy Pride! "The HIV Alliance received a $2.5 million donation, and is using it to purchase a new home for The Lavender Network, a resource hub for LGBTQ folks in Eugene [...] The donation is the largest ever made to HIV Alliance, and comes from business owner and local activist Helen Shepard."

  3. Royal Botanic Gardens’ £60m renovation project secures new largest donation (Museums and Heritage) "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has secured a £5 million donation from The Julia Rausing Trust towards its Palm House renovation project, marking the largest philanthropic gift to date for the project."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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