Weekly News Recap: November 14, 2025

Weekly News Recap: November 14, 2025

Garrett Turta has been with Fairmont Hotels for nearly 30 years. His leadership during the last nearly three years at Jasper Park Lodge, including his decision that likely saved the hotel, earned him Historic Hotels Worldwide’s 2025 Hotelier of the Year. (Maggie Kirk/CBC)

To do more for the world than the world does for you — that is success. -- Henry Ford

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • VIDEO: Notre-Dame hosts rare wedding for carpenter who helped rebuild it • FRANCE 24 English (YouTube) This is beautiful. "An extraordinary wedding was held on Saturday, 25 October, at Notre-Dame de Paris, ten months after the cathedral reopened. In a rare exception, Martin Lorentz, one of the 500 craftsmen who helped restore the cathedral, married his partner Jade inside the historic building. Having spent three years reconstructing the cathedral’s timber frame using traditional methods, Lorentz realised a long-held dream, celebrating the ceremony alongside fellow artisans and hundreds of guests."

  • Oreo Unveils Thanksgiving Dinner Cookies with Turkey & Stuffing and Creamed Corn Flavors (People) Umm, yum...(I think). "Oreo’s latest innovation brings turkey and cranberry sauce to dessert. The snack brand revealed its brand-new Thanksgiving Dinner Inspired Cookies on Oct. 29. The cookie sandwiches are each coated in fudge but, here’s where the Thanksgiving flavors come in: the fudge is infused with the flavors of six different Turkey Day dishes."

  • Inside the Surprisingly Intense World of Competitive Steinholding (Outside Online) This is too good to not include. And by good, I am talking total kitsch. "IT’S OKTOBERFEST NYC and I’m standing with Kim Planert, a UPS driver from Ohio. We’re at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, beneath London plane trees and a cerulean September sky. All around us is the requisite pageantry of the world’s foremost beer bacchanal: lederhosen bros, immodest dirndl cleavage, and polka music inspersed with domestic Oktoberfest classics like versions of 'Country Roads' and 'Sweet Caroline.' I know some haters who dismiss Oktoberfest as cosplay for alcoholics, but for those of us with a soft spot for a little seasonal kitsch there are worse ways to ring in the fall."

  • Peanut the orphaned baby llama recovering after mother killed by bears in Peachland, B.C. (CBC) PEACHLAND STORY Aww...Peanut "A six-week-old llama named Peanut is recovering in a British Columbia sanctuary after her mother was killed by bears on Oct. 27. Two bears attacked Peanut's mother in the middle of the night on Eva Sim’s property in the Okanagan community of Peachland. Sim said her husband heard the attack and was able to chase the bears away. Peanut was unharmed."

  • VIDEO: The Doobie Brothers: Tiny Desk Concert (NPR) I mean...it's the Doobie Brothers #HowCool "There's often a moment during a Tiny Desk concert when an artist realizes that playing in an office was either the right or wrong thing to do [...]For a band as accomplished as this to still encounter new experiences as performers says a lot about the energy bouncing around the walls of NPR headquarters."

  • Sumo Wrestlers Share Wholesome Images of Themselves Experiencing London as Tourists (My Modern Met) #Amazing "As one of the world’s top cultural hubs, London hosts a myriad of events of all kinds. One such happening is The Grand Sumo Tournament, which recently welcomed over 40 of Japan’s elite wrestlers for the second time [...] During their downtime, the athletes turned into tourists exploring London in their traditional garments. The resulting photos have captured the hearts of onlookers, both in person and online."

  • VIDEO: ‘Sesame Street’ Unveils Trailer For Its First Season On Netflix (Deadline) #LongLiveSesameStreet "Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for Sesame Street, the PBS series first on the streamer. The reimagined season, its 56th overall, debut[ed] [earlier this week] on Netflix in 30+ languages. The new episodes, which will now each center on one 11-minute story, will be available same day-and-date in the U.S. on PBS stations and PBS KIDS digital platforms."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Museums had a rough 2025: Report shows lower attendance, lost grants, less money (NPR) "Museums faced a whirlwind of brutal challenges in 2025. It wasn't just the federal government cancelling grants, leaving museums with holes in their budgets to fill. But President Trump's targeting of museum programming led to downstream effects on funding, putting a 'chill on corporate philanthropy,' according to Marilyn Jackson, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums."

  2. VIDEO: Could Canada join Eurovision? (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Campy! Pshht...Eurovision is the epitome of talent. (I do love a good Eurovision contest, after all, my favourite band, ABBA, was a contestant back in the day.) "Government job cuts, more defence spending and … getting Canada into Eurovision? The budget promise has Europop fans excited, but CBC’s Abby Hughes explains why sending a Canadian to the campy song competition isn’t an easy feat."

  3. The ‘Farmer’s Almanac’ says goodbye after 208 years (Popular Science) Oh no! For years, I used to buy this tome of unsubstantiated prognostication if only for the tide tables. Farewell old friend. "After more than 200 years of weather wisdom, folklore, and time-tested advice, editors announced that the 2026 Farmer’s Almanac will be the last edition. The website will remain operational through the end of December 2025."

  4. VIDEO: Margaret Atwood on reading palms, getting older — and holding grudges (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #NationalTreasure "Margaret Atwood is best known as a celebrated novelist, poet, essayist and literary critic — but she can also turn her hand to a spot of palm reading. 'You're very healthy and you're going to live a long time,' she told The Current’s Matt Galloway, scrutinizing his hand at a recent interview at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto. 'I don't say that to everybody,' she added."

  5. Philanthropist honours pet pooch with $250K humane society donation (CKNX News Today) KITCHENER WATERLOO STORY I totally understand this. If I had the money, I would do this for all my beloved fur babies that have passed. "The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth (HSKWSP) has been given a quarter of a million dollars by a man inspired by his beloved dog to donate. Local philanthropist Mike Schout is providing the $250,000, the humane society confirmed on Wednesday. The money will go to the Better Together Capital campaign, which aims to raise $6 million for the construction of a new community outreach centre."

  6. Hotelier receives prestigious award after helping save Jasper Park Lodge during 2024 wildfire (CBC) JASPER STORY Leadership is most evident when the stakes are at their highest -- Thank you Mr. Turta. "When the Jasper wildfires closed in on the mountain town last summer, Garrett Turta made a split-second call that may have saved the Fairmont’s Jasper Park Lodge. That decision — and his leadership as general manager over the last nearly three years — earned him international recognition as Historic Hotels Worldwide’s 2025 Hotelier of the Year. 'It was jaw-dropping because it's an esteemed award that never in my life would have ever thought would come my way,' said Turta."

  7. Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman announce 2026 Canadian tour as the Guess Who (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #GreatNews "Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman are getting the band back together. The two Canadian rock legends are touring together next year as the Guess Who for the first time in 23 years. The Takin' It Back tour will begin on May 26, 2026, at Avenir Centre in Moncton, N.B., and will make 11 stops across Canada, including in Halifax, Laval, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. The tour will feature support from Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles."

  8. National accessArts Centre receives federal funding boost for relocation campaign (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY "A Calgary-based charity that supports artists with disabilities is receiving more than $8 million from the federal government to support its relocation. In September, the National accessArts Centre (NaAC) launched a $30-million fundraising campaign to relocate its current headquarters in an adjacent space at the Fairview Arena to a new-and-improved future accessible arts centre in West Hillhurst. The campaign has raised approximately $19 million to date."

  9. Contemporary Calgary builds on mission to be an inclusive and welcoming cultural hub with new funding (LiveWire) CALGARY STORY Congrats! "Over the past several years, Contemporary Calgary has proven that the arts make for stronger communities and greater civic engagement—outside of simply being an important part of the cultural landscape of the city. New funding provided by the TD Ready Commitment program from TD Bank Group is helping to continue the work that Contemporary Calgary has been engaging in to reach youth, older Calgarians, and also undeserved communities in the city."

  10. VIDEO: U.S. tourism faces $5.7B US loss as Canadians continue to stay home (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Many Canadians continue to boycott travel to the United States, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. A U.S. Travel Association report forecasts a 3.2 per cent decline in international tourism spending in the country for 2025, a loss of $5.7 billion US compared to the previous year."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. How to Properly Apply Cologne, According to a Grooming Editor (Men's Health) Helpful, especially to those of us sensitive to fragrances.

  2. Unpicking How to Measure the Complexity of Knots (Wired) Ha, I am a self-described 'knot-nerd' so this tickled me.

  3. Guilty pleasures are more than just giving in to temptation (Psyche) Turns out, the flip side to embarrassment (of partaking in a guilty pleasure) is amusement.

  4. Why The Ancient Greeks Couldn't See Blue (YouTube) Nor, apparantly, could any of the other ancient civilizations. #SoInteresting.

  5. Listen to the most relaxing sounds in the world (Unify Cosmos) So, this is super cool. It is an interactive dial where you can pull in sounds like ice moving in Sweden or animal sounds from the Talamati Bushveld Camp, South Africa.

  6. VIDEO: Standard Omelet vs. Classic French Omelet (YouTube) I am a long-time fan of Jacques Pépin. I have learned so much about cooking from him. I did not think I needed to learn more about omelets but, turns out, I did. I made and ate each over the last few days. #Delicious.

  7. VIDEO: The surprising reason our muscles get tired - Christian Moro (YouTube) Not exactly why you might think.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Home Depot Foundation invests $30 million in veteran housing programs (Philanthropy News Digest) "Part of the foundation’s pledge to provide $750 million in veteran causes by 2030, the awards will assist thousands of veterans around the country secure and maintain safe, accessible housing through critical home repairs, smart home modifications, and programs for those exiting homelessness."

  2. Peace River Health Centre and Atrium Re-named (River Country) PEACE RIVER STORY "The Peace River Community Health Centre has been renamed the Marshall Eliuk Peace River Community Health Centre, following a generous $3 million donation from former local businessman and philanthropist Marshall Eliuk to the Peace River and District Health Foundation"

  3. Honouring the legacy of Dr. Pearl Sullivan and the future of education (uWaterloo) WATERLOO STORY I love it when transformational gifts are made to honour others. "University of Waterloo alumni Frank Baylis [...] and Valerie Baylis [...] visited campus to announce the Gloria Baylis Foundation’s philanthropic contribution of $20 million to the Faculty of Engineering. The gift honours former Waterloo Engineering dean, the late Dr. Pearl Sullivan, who prioritized students’ educational experiences with indomitable energy."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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