Weekly News Recap: August 8, 2025

Weekly News Recap: August 8, 2025

The Canadian women's rugby team is receiving a boost from iconic band The Tragically Hip. The Kingston, Ont., band is supporting the team by selling a limited-edition shirt, with proceeds going to the second-ranked squad.

If there is no blood on the line, it is not rugby league. -- Russell Crowe

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • Fierce new Canadian coin looks straight out of 'Jurassic World' (Daily Hive) CANADIAN STORY Even if you are not into coins, this is cool. "If you’re a coin collector or a dinosaur enthusiast, the Dinosaur Eye coin will certainly pique your interest. The silver coin is oval-shaped, like the outline of the eye of a Thanatotheristes, a dinosaur that wouldn’t look out of place in a Jurassic World movie."

  • VIDEO: Archaeological field school helps Indigenous students learn more about their history — and themselves (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #MorePlease "On a warm sunny Tuesday morning in July, nine students prepare to sift through soil in search of answers. It's part of a six-week archaeological field school through the Esk'etemc (pronounced ess-KET-em) First Nation, which gives Indigenous students the chance to learn about the profession, but also about the long history of their families, culture, and ultimately, about themselves."

  • VIDEO: Annapolis Valley community gathers to help pod of dolphins trapped in mud (CBC) ANNAPOLIS VALLEY STORY "A community near Canning, N.S., rallied on Sunday to help a pod of dolphins stranded in mud. Melissa Pineo and her family noticed about a dozen white-sided dolphins in the water near Pineo's home. They were enjoying the moment Sunday morning until the tide went out and the dolphins got stuck. "More and more of them were getting stuck in the mud and my partner and my dad and a couple other people from the community jumped in and kind of pulled them down into the water," said Pineo."

  • VIDEO: This car has more than 1.2 million km on it — and it's still going strong (CBC) NOVA SCOTIA STORY I am not sure they make them like this anymore. "If you were to spot Andy Campbell's ride on the road, you might not think too much about it. Maybe you'd think it's a bit dated — a throwback to an earlier time when cassette tapes were all the rage and backup cameras were just a glimmer in a car designer's eye. But if you took a closer look, you'd see that there's something special about Campbell's 1985 Toyota Tercel."

  • VIDEO: Edmonton's Hawrelak Park set to reopen this winter (CBC) EDMONTON STORY This has been a real loss to have this park closed for so long. I am very glad to see that it will reopen this year. "Hawrelak Park is on track to open this winter after extensive repair work caused the park to close in 2023. Construction is anticipated to be completed in fall 2025, the city said in a statement to CBC."

  • Tragically Hip offers helping hand to Canada women's rugby team fundraising campaign (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #LoveTheHip "The Tragically Hip is doing its bit to help support the Canadian women's rugby team ahead of this month's World Cup in England. The iconic Canadian band is selling a limited-edition T-shirt with proceeds going to supporting the second-ranked Canadian women. 'This team is the embodiment of what it means to be Canadian — passionate, humble, and resilient,' the band said in a statement. 'This partnership is about getting all of Canada behind one of the most inspiring untold stories in this country. It's lifting up a team and a nation on the world stage, cheering on our women as they aim to achieve their dreams.' "

  • VIDEO: A theft, a sting and an apology: How these Toronto cyclists got their stolen bikes back (CBC) TORONTO STORY I had my prize bike stolen during COVID. It really affected me. I watched it go up and get sold on Kijiji #Heartbreaking "The thief who cut a hole into Noah Rosen and Suzanne Carlsen's fence to steal their bikes probably didn't expect what happened next. Rosen and Carlsen run VéloColour, a Toronto shop known for painting high-end bikes. The couple says the stolen bikes, which they lovingly modified, have a combined value of more than $5,000. They weren't planning to let them go without a chase."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Piece by piece, cranes lift 84 prefabricated rentals into place in downtown Calgary (CBC) CALGARY STORY This is amazing! "Along a busy street on the west end of downtown, another new rental building is going up — but instead of being built from scratch, prefabricated units are being craned into place, piece by piece. Each box being stacked contains two studio apartments, already filled with appliances like fridges, stoves, washers and dryers. Altogether, the pieces will make up 84 studio apartments across six storeys. 'We can crane in all the modules into place in 10 days, which is a very fast pace in a highly densified area,' said Adam Beattie, president of ATCO Structures."

  2. VIDEO: The Canadian drone industry is spinning up — with lessons from Ukraine (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Nearly everything about smaller drones represents a change in direction in military thinking and industrial production. For decades, procurement has trended toward ever higher prices and longer timelines. The F-35, for example, is a weapons system so complicated and expensive that multiple countries had to buy in and invest in advance. Drones don't need giant factories with sophisticated production lines. Instead, said Tom Barton of Janes Defence in London, Ukraine has decentralized production into small workshops."

  3. VIDEO: Why Canada's economy is showing resilience in the face of U.S. tariffs (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Despite tariffs piling up over the past few months, economists say there are few signs of economic collapse — though Canada's economy is starting to show cracks. TD Bank economist Marc Ercolao conceded it's a 'bit of surprise' to see the economy holding up against a massive disruption from Canada's largest trading partner. 'Many months ago, ourselves — as well as other economic forecasters — had an outlook for a much weaker Canadian economy. Obviously, that isn't manifesting now,' he said in an interview."

  4. Imaging reveals 2,000-year-old ice mummy's 'incredibly impressive' tattoos (CBC) These tattoos are spectacular. "More than two millennia ago, a woman sat for hours on end in the ancient grasslands of a Siberian mountain range to have her body adorned with elaborate tattoos of creatures both real and mythical. When she died, her body was preserved under the permafrost for thousands of years, but her tattoos faded and became invisible to the naked eye."

  5. VIDEO: Monkeys 'running a scam' at sacred temple, frustrated tourists say after phone thefts (MSN) Clever little monkey #WatchYourPhone "Monkeys have been stealing tourists' valuables — including their phones and wallets — in exchange for food rewards at a popular, cliff-side temple in Bali, Indonesia. The mischievous, long-tailed macaques have been stealing visitors' belongings for decades, holding them ransom to trade with humans for food, according to primate researchers, the Wall Street Journal reported."

  6. VIDEO: Close encounter with great white shark near Halifax sparks awe, disbelief (CBC) HALIFAX STORY This is quite terrifying. I really had no idea how big these sharks can get. "A Dalhousie University student studying marine biology is sharing a breathtaking photo of a great white shark she took while on a recent research expedition off the coast of Halifax. Geraldine Fernandez snapped the picture [...] from a cage atop a boat operated by Atlantic Shark Expeditions near Sambro, a rural fishing community in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The male shark can be seen rising out of the water, staring almost directly at the camera, with his mouth agape and his teeth showing. "

  7. Royal Tyrrell Museum marks 40th anniversary with “pop-up” exhibits across Alberta (CFWE) ALBERTA STORY Happy Anniversary! "Alberta’s premier dinosaur museum and paleontology lab is celebrating a major milestone in 2025, and a series of special events will take place across the province. The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology turns 40 years old on September 25, having first opened its doors in 1985. A series of pop-up exhibits will be on display at libraries across [Alberta.]"

  8. Heavily photographed 'Banff' sign to move from side of road to town's historic train station (CBC) BANFF STORY #GoodMove "A popular selfie spot for visitors to Banff National Park is being moved to what town officials say is a safer site. The two-metre-high, $350,000 sign that simply reads 'Banff' was installed in 2017 on Mount Norquay Avenue, one of two entrances into the Alberta mountain park's idyllic townsite. But the narrow two-lane road, which runs from the Mount Norquay Ski Resort seven kilometres away, is fraught with traffic jams, even between the peak tourist seasons of winter and summer."

  9. Metropolitan Opera Board & Peter Gelb Tricked by Fake Millionaire, Dip into Endowment As a Result (OperaWire) Every fundraiser's worst nightmare. "It seems the Metropolitan Opera was tricked regarding a donation of $15 million. In an exposé by the New York Magazine, it was revealed that Matthew Christopher Pietras had fraudulently attempted to donate money to the Metropolitan Opera. According to the report, on March 31, Met Opera General Manager Peter Gelb announced a major gift of $15 million by Pietras. However, when the company attempted to make a $10 million transfer on May 28, 2025, from an LLC connected to a Greg Soros property, the bank realized that something was wrong and flagged it as fraudulent."

  10. United Farm Workers Protest $30 Million Dollar Wonderful Company Donation to UCLA’s Hammer Museum (L.A. Taco) "On Wednesday afternoon, farm workers and supporters organized by the United Farm Workers union protested outside of the UCLA Hammer Museum, which received a $30 million dollar donation from the Resnick family of the Wonderful Company."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. People are praising 96-year-old grandma's advice to 'separate your actions from your feelings' (Upworthy) Grandmas are the bomb.

  2. "Every Species On The Planet Self-Medicates In Some Way": How Wild Animals Use Medicine (IFL Science) I have watched my dogs and cats do this...nature is cool.

  3. VIDEO: Welcome to the Frick! (YouTube) A lovely overview by Steve Martin. Worth the 6 minute watch (and, you should go visit the Frick).

  4. VIDEO: If You Can Complete These 4 Moves at 60, Your Body’s Fitter Than People Half Your Age (Eat This! Not That!) Well, I am 60. And...I can do all of these. #Yay.

  5. VIDEO: ALL THE DOGS, EXPLAINED (YouTube) Dog lovers rejoice. Fun video.

  6. Why You Should Always Steer Clear Of Overcrowding Your Grill (The Takeout) I could not agree more. When we have a larger party, I always rent a bigger grill.

  7. People Who Live by the Ocean Have Longer Lives—and No One Can Explain Why (Vice) I never grew up by the water but whenever I am by the ocean, I feel...better. I also don't know why.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Toldo $1.5M donation helps kick off Windsor hospital rehab campaign (Windsor Star) WINDSOR STORY "A major donation from a local philanthropic foundation has jumpstarted a campaign to expand access to specialized rehabilitation services in Windsor-Essex. Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare launched its new ‘Imagine Campaign’ Wednesday afternoon, announcing plans for a new outpatient rehabilitation centre that will enhance services for thousands of patients across Windsor and Essex County. A $1.5-million donation from the Toldo Foundation kickstarted the [campaign.]"

  2. Gates Foundation commits $2.5 billion to women’s health R&D (Philanthropy News Digest) "The foundation’s largest commitment ever to women’s health R&D will advance more than 40 innovations in five critical, chronically underfunded areas: obstetric care and maternal immunization, maternal health and nutrition, gynecological and menstrual health, contraceptive innovation, and sexually transmitted infections."

  3. Orchestra chair quits, leaving $15 million donation (Slipped Disc) Nice way to exit! "Minnesota Orchestra Board Chair Nancy E. Lindahl and her husband John have made public their $15 million commitment to the Orchestra. The news was shared yesterday at the final Board meeting of the Orchestra’s 2024-25 season, which marked the conclusion of Lindahl’s tenure as chair."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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