Weekly News Recap: August 7, 2026

Weekly News Recap: August 7, 2026

Chief Dr. Wilton Littlechild is one of three Indigenous leaders being honoured by Canada Post. Photo by -Canada Post /Wetaskiwin Times

All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone. -- Blaise Pascal

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • This kitten was too tiny for a wheelchair. So his foster mom made one with Hot Wheels and duct tape (CBC) #SoCute "When Gelato the kitten arrived at a Cincinnati animal shelter last month, injured and unable to use his back legs, he was too tiny for an animal wheelchair. The tabby kitten was found in the streets by a Good Samaritan and brought to Cincinnati Animal Care, where he was diagnosed with a spinal injury. While not paralyzed, his little back limbs had atrophied from lack of use, and he needed a way to get around while regaining his muscle strength. But none of the devices at the shelter were a good fit. 'He was only about just shy of one pound when he came,' Mallory Smith, veterinary assistant lead at Cincinnati Animal Care, told As It Happens guest host Rebecca Zandbergen. 'He was a really little guy.' So Smith, who is currently fostering said little guy, decided to get creative and make one herself out of household items, including Hot Wheels, zip ties, and lots and lots of duct tape."

  • Move over, Moo Deng: Pygmy hippo calf born at Toronto Zoo (CBC) TORONTO STORY Welcome to the world little hippo. "Toronto just got its very own Moo Deng. The Toronto Zoo says a female pygmy hippo calf was born [...] to 20-year-old mother Kindia. The zoo says the calf took her first steps within minutes of her birth and was confidently navigating her enclosure within a few hours."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: Calgary sets world record for largest drag stage show (CBC) CALGARY STORY Yay Calgary! "It's official: 7,423 people came out to support local and international drag superstars during Stampede week, setting a Guinness World Record for ‘largest attendance at a drag artist stage show.’ "

  2. VIDEO: Conestoga College plunges into $32.8M deficit as tuition revenue collapses (CTV) KITCHENER STORY #Ugh "Conestoga College has officially plunged into the red, reporting a $32.8 million operating deficit for its most recent fiscal year. It’s a dramatic reversal from the multi-million-dollar surpluses the college had during peak international student enrollment."

  3. VIDEO: Heated Rivalry fandom is in a frenzy over this Canadian Tire reusable bag (CBC) CANADIAN STORY And this is how fads start. "Luxury handbags? Out. A $1.99 Canadian Tire tote? In, apparently. Hudson Williams, star of the breakout Canadian series Heated Rivalry sent social media into a frenzy after stepping out sporting the budget-friendly bag while strolling the streets of Toronto with his co-star, Connor Storrie. The red and black plaid reusable bag, complete with black straps and a large Canadian Tire logo in the centre, is a familiar last-minute grab at checkout counters across Canada. But after fans spotted it hanging from Williams's wrist, it quickly went from an everyday essential to a viral fashion must-have."

  4. VIDEO: Everyone loved Marineland — then the tide turned. A look inside the park's final days (CBC) "Silence envelops Marineland. Gone are the millions of visitors from the marine park's glory days who came to see apex predators such as killer whales, lovable seals, sea lions and dolphins and the world's largest pod of captive belugas. Inside the fence, nature has come calling. Trees and bushes wrap around the rails of Dragon Mountain, once billed as the world's largest steel rollercoaster. Its loop-de-loops now descend into a murky swamp. Other rides have been dismantled, their parts waiting for a buyer who is set to pick them up later this summer."

  5. ‘When you kill it, it doesn’t die’: the jellyfish that has cracked the secret of immortality (The Guardian) #DeathCheater Thanks to Recap contributor Mick Mulloy for this story. "Immortality is generally considered the realm of the gods or science fiction, a fantasy that’s actively pursued by tech entrepreneurs in macabre experiments that include injecting 'young blood', cryopreservation, or resurrection in an AI afterlife. But one ethereal, thimble-shaped jellyfish has already cracked the code."

  6. IN DEPTH: The Calgary Chamber under Deborah Yedlin — who does it really represent (Western Standard) CALGARY STORY "For decades, chambers of commerce existed for one primary purpose: to stand up for businesses. They fought for lower taxes, less red tape, stronger infrastructure, safer communities and policies that allowed entrepreneurs to succeed. Now, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce appears to be something different."

  7. No spudnuts at the Saskatoon Ex, but the treat's sweet, starchy legacy lives on (CBC) SASKATOON STORY I had to ask my Saskatchewan family members what a spudnut was. #NowIKnow "After decades of service, a doughy staple of Prairie pastry is saying goodbye to Saskatoon's summer exhibition — but hearty bakers say that doesn't mean it's RIP to the redoubtable round treat known simply as the spudnut."

  8. VIDEO: Kids' birthday parties are getting more expensive. Should guests help pay for them? (CBC) #Pricey "Kids' birthday parties are a big business these days pretty much any way you go about it. At best, there's the price of food, cake and balloons. Maybe you rented a bouncy castle to keep the kids entertained, or hired Elsa to sing Let it Go, or paid for the reptile zoo to come to you. Perhaps, at worst, you booked a party package at the soft play/arcade/ball pit/laser tag/loud indoor theme park. Or maybe you're taking six pre-teens for manicures, or a dozen kids to make splatter art and friendship bracelets at your local pottery studio/craft shop/artisan sandwich cafe that — did you hear?! — just started booking birthday parties."

  9. VIDEO: Chief Littlechild honoured by Canada Post, Sports Hall of Fame (Wetaskiwin Times) CANADIAN STORY Congrats! Well deserved. "Chief Dr. Wilson Littlechild is being honoured in new ways. Recently, Canada Post announced they were issuing a three-stamp collection featuring Littlechild, Edward Lennie and Bryan Trottier and later this year, Littlechild will be inducted alongside the 1990 Canadian Women’s Ice Hockey team and basketball player Jay Triano into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame as one of three Trailblazers in the Class of 2026."

  10. Relying on GPS for directions makes your brain lazy. Here's how to give it a workout (CBC) "When Tara McAndrew found herself at the edge of a forest in Wellington, N.Z., instead of at the rental apartment she was meant to view, she had an epiphany. Perhaps, she decided, it was time to rely less heavily on GPS for navigation. In the decade since making that decision, the Ontario-based travel writer for Travel with TMc has criss-crossed much of the world. Now, when she lands in an unfamiliar city, she'll turn to Waze or Google Maps for directions as she drives or walks to her destination. On the way back, though, it's up to her."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. The Lost Art of Thinking Slowly (Mental Garden) Compare before believing and watch for what hijacks your emotions.

  2. 7 Moves, 7 Reps, 7 Rounds: The 20-Minute Kettlebell Workout That’s Quietly Sculpting Everyone (Women's Fitness Talk) A great and quick toning routine. I am going to give this a try.

  3. Better Ways to Learn Mathematics (Math In History) Its actually not about the numbers.

  4. The Morning Brain Dump: A 10-Minute Ritual That Changes How You Think (M.Z. Ahmad) Nice. Calming. Easy to try.

  5. This is What Makes a True Genius (Personal Growth) Turns out, insane discipline is a good fraction of what makes a genius.

  6. The Hidden Details in Every Font (Design Bootcamp) Font nerds rejoice.

  7. Three Things About Regression That Every Data Scientist Should Know (Keith McNulty) Watch for what your outliers are telling you.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. $2 million donation helps Ontario hospital set new benchmark in orthopedic innovation (Insauga) AJAX STORY "Lakeridge Health and Ajax Pickering Hospital established a new national benchmark for orthopedic innovation with the purchase of a next generation robotic platform, made possible through a $2 million donation from the Jeremiah Coughlan Foundation."

  2. VIDEO: Durham Technical Community College received a $1 million donation. (Youtube) "Durham Technical Community College received a $1 million donation from Lowes Foundation."

  3. VIDEO: $203m donation to fund transformation of Brown Museum (blooloop) "A $203 million donation from philanthropists Cici and Hyatt Brown will support a significant transformation of the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, Science & History in Daytona [Beach.]"

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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