Weekly News Recap: January 16, 2026
Weekly News Recap: January 16, 2026
Looking in every direction. Photograph: Canadian Armed Forces Combat Camera
Man is pushed by drives, but he is pulled by values -- Viktor Frankl
SOME GOOD NEWS
Rescue dog found after 54 days in wilderness on Vancouver's North Shore (CBC) Welcome home Bami! "A rescue dog was found in Metro Vancouver's North Shore after being lost in the wilderness for 54 days, after an outpouring of support from the local community and concerted efforts from searchers."
90 Minutes to Give Baby Luna a New Heart (New York Times) This story transfixed me. "After eight years of training, Dr. Maureen McKiernan made her debut as the lead surgeon on an infant heart transplant — an operation on the edge of what’s possible."
Valkyrie, the black bear cub found with severe burns in December, is recovering well (CBC) Glad you are feeling better Valkyrie! A happy follow up to a story from our January 2, 2026 Recap. "A black bear cub rescued after it was burnt severely this past December will eventually be introduced to other bears at the sanctuary where it's recovering in Smithers, B.C."
VIDEO: Central Alberta farmers amazed to welcome triplet calves for 2nd year in a row (CBC) #Wow "Mere hours after Albertans welcomed in the new year with shouts of, 'Three, two, one,' Lucky 7 Cattle Co. owner Stacey Simpson was incredulously counting upward: 'One, two, three?' Simpson, a purebred Red and Black Angus cattle farmer outside of Sedgewick, Alta., a town about 150 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, said she wasn’t surprised her five-year-old heifer Dukey was showing signs of labour three hours into 2026. But what did catch her off guard was that Dukey’s symptoms continued, even after birthing two calves."
How a 1st year resident in St John's helped solve a medical mystery, and didn't stop there (CBC) #Hero " '[The doctors] were saying, telling us he might not make it through the night,' said Gillies Sr. 'And then a saviour came along.' That saviour arrived on a Monday. Although to be fair, the saviour had actually begun work the night before, staying up late to pore over his new case files. He was a first-year internal medicine resident from Memorial University arriving for his first shift on the rotation. 'You don't want to show up in the morning empty-handed not knowing anything about your patient,' said Dr. Steven Rowe."
VIDEO: #TheMoment a pod of orcas got their belly rubs (CBC) Beautiful. "Ryan Chilibeck tells the National about the moment he witnessed a pod of orcas rub their bellies on rocks off B.C.'s Sunshine Coast."
TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK
Art Gallery of Alberta aims for 'ambitious' membership comeback after pandemic slump and construction woes (CBC) This reminds me. I need to re-up my membership. "The Art Gallery of Alberta is channeling its creative energy to boost membership numbers that have failed to come back since the COVID-19 pandemic. Membership bottomed out to roughly 2,800 individuals during the pandemic, which started in 2020 and wasn’t declared over until 2023, according to Catherine Crowston, the AGA’s executive director and chief curator. That is a major drop from the 10,000-member peak seen when the renovated gallery reopened in 2010."
Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation appoints new director (Airdrie City View) Congrats. "The Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation has appointed a new executive director, ushering in a new era for the organization at the start of 2026. Government relations professional Cheryl Munson said she learned about the opportunity through conversations with mutual friends of board members."
Edmonton’s Glenrose Hospital announces replacement for therapeutic pool closed in 2024 (CBC) #Woot "The Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton is getting a new therapeutic pool a little over a year after the old one was closed over age and safety issues. The Alberta government announced [...] it will contribute half of the $6.5 million cost of replacing the pool. The Glenrose Hospital Foundation is planning to fundraise the rest with an eye to the replacement opening in 2028. This comes as great news to staff and past patients."
Muhammad Ali once said he wanted to be a postage stamp. Now he’s getting his wish (CBC) "'Give the champ a stamp.' That was the rallying cry from a board member at the Muhammad Ali Center, according to the legendary boxer’s widow, Lonnie Ali. To her, it only made sense, given her late husband once joked that he should be turned into a postage stamp 'because that’s the only way I’ll ever get licked.' "
'Meet cute' dating event in Vancouver lets people pitch their friends in a PowerPoint presentation (CBC) Finally, somebody is doing something useful with PowerPoint ;-) "PowerPoint presentations have long been a staple of business meetings, but two women have started hosting 'meet cute' events in Vancouver where the ubiquitous Microsoft presentation program is used to help people build social connections and potentially find a romantic partner. Amy Xiao and Megan Lo have organized speed dating events where participants gather for short one-on-one discussions in a public space. They’ve also hosted dating events where people 'pitch' a friend, who is also in attendance, as a potential romantic partner."
Canada’s armed forces are planning for threats from America (The Economist) New world. New times. BTW, I am totally down for joining a civil defence force on behalf of my country. "Canada has never had an equivalent of Uncle Sam, sternly exhorting its citizens to sign up to fight for their country. That is changing. Jennie Carignan, Canada’s top soldier, is looking for Canadians—whether they are 16 or 65—who will come to their country’s aid in the event of a military attack or calamitous natural disaster. 'We’re going to need heavy-equipment operators,' says General Carignan. 'We’re going to need drone operators. We’re going to potentially need cyber operators as well.' Call her Aunt Jennie."
Opinion: Canada’s post-secondary system is hitting a breaking point (Vancouver Sun) #Ugh "With new global attraction strategies, Canada is trying to draw talent from abroad but neglecting the systems that nurture our own youth. B.C.’s institutions, and their counterparts across the country, are confronting a financial reckoning more than a decade in the making. What comes next may reshape how Canadians learn, work and access opportunities for decades."
Libraries like Red Deer’s changing how they hire, train staff because of homelessness crisis (CBC) "Between central Alberta’s freezing winter temperatures and the recent closure of a drop-in centre run by a local harm-reduction group, Red Deer Public Library CEO Shelley Ross has seen an uptick in the number of homeless people spending time at the branches. As a result, she has needed to make some changes in the way she runs the library. 'When we're hiring … for the library, we make it clear that the first and biggest challenge in a public library is the public,' Ross said."
VIDEO: The Latvia Man Shortage Has Women Hiring Men For Household Chores (Distractify) "A man shortage in Latvia reportedly has women in the country coming up with some interesting ways to get 'manly' chores completed in their homes. According to a report from VICE, Latvian women are hiring 'husbands for an hour' in an attempt to offset the country's demographic imbalance. Latvian women outnumber men in the country by 15.5 percent, which is more than three times the European Union average, per Eurostat. While the lack of romance is certainly an issue for the ladies, it would seem that women are more worried about having a man around for other domestic chores."
VIDEO: Why autism advocates are celebrating Barbie's first-ever autistic doll (CBC) Not everybody loves this idea but I do. "In an attempt to help 'more children to see themselves represented in Barbie,' toy creator Mattel Inc. is releasing their first-ever autistic Barbie doll. The doll was created with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). Noor Pervez, the non-profit's community engagement manager, said they aimed to help autistic children see themselves, and also deliver a message to non-autistic people."
SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS
The First Timer’s Guide to Fly Fishing: The Budget-Friendly Gear You Need to Get on the Water (Outside Online) Turns out, 2026 is the year I want to learn fly fishing (the Bow River is apparently one of the world's best spots for fly fishing #WhoKnew).
VIDEO: I Did Japan’s Most Famous Morning Exercise for 2 Weeks — And the Results Surprised Me (Illumination) Three minutes per day and some amazing results. I'm in!
11 things you can do in 15 minutes to jumpstart your life if you’ve lost the spark (I Am Alex Mathers) Excellent ideas.
The 10-Minute Planning Habit That Saves Hours (Activated Thinker) I started doing this and it literally changed my life.
Going from 45 to 60 in VO₂ max (Pacific Tech) Ok, let's see if this is really possible. I have been unsuccessfully trying this for a few years.
The Surprisingly Powerful One-Page Notebook That’s Always With Me (Miscellaneous Plans) A very simple idea that I am really loving.
French Onion Grilled Cheese (Taste of Home) #Yum
TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK
Rijksmuseum to Open New Sculpture Garden With Works by Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder (Art News) Love this! "Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum has announced that it will open a new sculpture garden in the fall of 2026. The endeavor will be funded by a donation of nearly $70 million from the Don Quixote Foundation. According to Dutch News, the foundation is financed by Dutch billionaire Rolly van Rappard, who founded venture capital company CVC."
VIDEO: Museum receives significant donation (YouTube) "An aviation history museum in Manitoba is celebrating a significant $1.6M legacy donation from a life-long member."
UK’s National Trust receives £10m, its largest-ever cash donation (The Art Newspaper) #TrustTheTrust "Humphrey Battcock has not attached any conditions to the donation, saying he trusts 'the National Trust to know how best this money can be used' "
LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES
UCalgary scientists discover new fundamental property of diamond (UCalgary) CALGARY STORY
VIDEO: Lego unveils new ‘smart bricks’ with interactive lights and sounds (CBC)
VIDEO: B.C. jobs in high demand: Why 2026 may be the best time to learn a trade (CBC) CANADIAN STORY
'Death ball' sponge, tiny opossum among cool new species of 2025 (CBC)
Canada’s first Christmas without the Hudson’s Bay Company (The Economist) CANADIAN STORY
Joyce Family Foundation donates $1.5 million to remove financial barriers for RDP students (Red Deer News Now) RED DEER STORY
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