Weekly News Recap: February 13, 2026

Weekly News Recap: February 13, 2026

Canadian figure skater Maddie Schizas had a classwork scare while in Milan for the Olympics

Don’t let the enormity of the moment in history be bigger than the play. Focus on the play. - Hailey Wickenheiser

SOME GOOD NEWS

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Canadian skating star, 22, shares wild email begging college professor for an extension: 'I was competing in the Olympic Games' (Daily Mail) Best excuse EVER! "It's not exactly 'the dog ate my homework,' but if the pressure of nailing a triple lutz + triple toeloop isn't a good enough excuse for extra time on an assignment, then every college student in the world is doomed. Canadian figure skater Maddie Schizas is in Milan competing for her country this week to fight for glory at the Winter Olympics."

  2. VIDEO: Plan for $3M West Bragg Creek trail centre met with mixed response (CBC) Wishing them well. "A planned trail centre in West Bragg Creek is receiving mixed responses from members of the public. The proposal, put forward by the Bragg Creek Trails Association, is still in the planning phase, with the concept design including a two-storey building with room for up to 150 people. The site is estimated to cost around $3 million, which Bragg Creek Trails says would be paid for through provincial grants, donations and events. West Bragg Creek, located southwest of Calgary, is a popular destination year-round, with more than 160 kilometres of trails in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. According to Bragg Creek Trails, the provincial recreation area sees more than 265,000 visitors every year."

  3. Celebrating a Century: AUArts Marks 100 Years (AUArts) Happy Birthday AUArts! "[Alberta] University of the Arts officially launched its centennial year while welcoming Dr. Janis Goldie as the University’s President and Chief Executive Officer. The President & CEO installation and centennial celebration brought together students, faculty, staff, alumni, post-secondary and art community leaders in recognition of a century of impact."

  4. Arviat, Nunavut, chosen as main campus site for Canada's 1st Inuit university (CBC) I love this! "Arviat, a small Nunavut community located along the western shore of Hudson Bay, will be the home of the first Inuit-led university in Canada's Arctic. The location of the main campus was formally announced in Ottawa [...] during an event hosted by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national organization representing Inuit. ITK President Natan Obed said the creation of the first university in Inuit Nunangat — the homeland of Inuit in Canada — is an important step in asserting jurisdiction in the Canadian Arctic."

  5. OPINION: The Globalization of Canadian Rage (New York Times) "The defiance against America that has consumed Canadian life for over a year now has finally spread to the rest of the West. The message of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at Davos last month — that of a 'rupture in the world order' — was not new for Canadians. Just after his election in April, Mr. Carney declared that 'our old relationship with the United States, a relationship based on steadily increasing integration, is over.' At Davos, the moment caught up with him, and with Canada."

  6. DIGITAL RESOURCE: New online catalogue provides access to cultural data (OCAD U) I took a spin through. It's pretty cool! "The creation of the Canadian Cultural Data Catalogue that provides a centralized, searchable tool that connects artists, researchers, policymakers and organizations with cultural data resources across the country. This open-source secure platform, with all its servers in Canada, is currently a prototype pilot of three provinces and national datasets."

  7. The Chatbots Appear to Be Organizing (The Atlantic) It had to happen. "The first signs of the apocalypse might look a little like Moltbook: a new social-media platform, launched last week, that is supposed to be populated exclusively by AI bots—1.6 million of them and counting say hello, post software ideas, and exhort other AIs to 'stop worshiping biological containers that will rot away.' (Humans: They mean humans.)"

  8. ‘It’s a statement’: New art gallery in Dayton has only art by women (Dayton Daily News) "In front of a lively crowd on Saturday, Dayton Art Institute leaders formally unveiled a new gallery dedicated to feminist art. Named for donors Sara M. and Michelle Vance Wadell, the new space will serve as a permanent home for art by women."

  9. How Scholastic became a cultural rite of passage for Canadian kids (CBC) Yes, the memories. I am so glad this still exists. "For many Canadians, Scholastic brings about an instant wave of nostalgia. Memories come flooding back of flipping through colourful catalogues, circling must-have books, and browsing tables stacked with trinkets — from scented erasers to posters and pencils — set up in school auditoriums during book fair week. For generations of elementary school students, Scholastic brought excitement and joy — and for many kids today, even in an age dominated by screens, that magic hasn’t faded, say educators."

  10. Warming temperatures are shrinking snowpack in key Canadian watersheds, study suggests (CBC) We are heading to Fernie for a ski vacation...wondering if we will have snow to ski on. "A record-breaking snow drought in the western U.S. is raising concerns about water scarcity and wildfires next summer. A new Canadian study suggests the conditions could signal a longer-term trend that threatens water supplies for millions across the country. Snow cover in the western U.S. is well below what it normally is at this time of year, and the lowest recorded since NASA’s Terra satellite began monitoring in 2001. A warming climate is likely making this more common."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. What’s A Good Resting Heart Rate? Average Resting HR By Age And Sex (Marathon Handbook) Useful chart for those that track RHR. And if you don't, you probably should.

  2. We walked a mile in the LEGO Crocs so you don't have to (Quartz) No words.

  3. The College President's Role in Fundraising (AFP Global) Good reminder to share with your CEO.

  4. How to be lucky (Psyche) I have always believed that you make most of your own luck.

  5. The Surprising Metabolism Hack That Works While You’re Sitting Down (In Fitness And In Health) I do this naturally...did not know it was also helping me.

  6. My daily protocol: How I maintain a 30-year-old’s biological age at 56 (Koan Bogiatto) A fascinating read. I love that he gets right to work when he gets up...I do too.

  7. I Tried A No-Knead Focaccia Recipe, And It's So Easy And Tasty It Feels Like Cheating (Yahoo News) I love to cook but I have never made bread. I might start with this one. #ILoveFocaccia

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: Yes, Canada has a 'fungus bank' — and it just got saved by a massive donation (CBC) Somebody has to stand up for fungus. :-) "A unique collection of microscopic fungi used for Canadian medical and biodiversity research has been saved from being shipped overseas. The UAMH Centre for Global Microfungal Biodiversity has received a $1-million donation from the Weston Family Foundation, allowing it to remain in Canada for Canadian use."

  2. 'The space that women deserve': $5M Suncor donation helps create Calgary's first comprehensive women's health centre (Calgary Herald) "A $5-million donation from Suncor to Calgary Health Foundation will be dedicated to Calgary’s first comprehensive women’s health facility in the Foothills Medical Centre."

  3. $10 million donation will keep dogs and cats happy in this Ontario community (insauga) #Wow "A $10 million gift from a long-time supporter is expected to keep future pets happy for years to come in an area of Ontario. The Humane Society of Oakville, Milton & Halton (HSOMH) says the donation from philanthropist Klaus Bytzek will go towards creating a modern animal care centre to meet the growing needs of the region."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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