Weekly News Recap: November 28, 2025

Weekly News Recap: November 28, 2025

A group of Cub Scouts who were camping in Golden Ears Provincial Park lent their aid to three unprepared hikers over the weekend. (Pitt Meadows Cubs)

What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives? -- E.M. Forster

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • How to Fix a Typewriter and Your Life (New York Times) This story really moved me. It's a longer read but worth it. "Lundy had reached a ceiling. No college degree meant no room to grow in a world that valued credentials above experience. Retirement at 65 stretched before him like a prison sentence. The three-hour commute was killing him — a ritual that thousands endure to afford living near Seattle. 'Fun was not what you would call it anymore,' allows Lundy, a trim, neatly pleated man with a soft, welcoming face [...] One Sunday morning in 2014, he opened The Seattle Times and found a feature story about Bob Montgomery, age 92, known to friends, customers and locals simply as Mr. Montgomery. The article read like an obituary for a vanishing trade — fixing typewriters — suggesting that when Mr. Montgomery went, seven decades of expertise would vanish into the digital ether. Lundy read it once, then a second time. He had never given old typewriters much thought, but something stirred in him that he could not quite name. He showed the story to his wife, Lisa. 'I think this might be it,' he told her. The next weekend, he drove to Bremerton, a weary naval town an hour’s ferry ride away and a world apart from gleaming, digitized Seattle."

  • VIDEO: Cub Scout group comes to the aid of 3 unprepared hikers in B.C.'s Golden Ears Provincial Park (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY #ScoutsHonour "A group of young Cub Scouts came to the aid of three unprepared hikers in B.C.'s Golden Ears Provincial Park over the weekend amid torrential rain. [A] group of 10 Cub Scouts were camping in the popular park in Metro Vancouver's Tri-Cities area when eight of them decided to go on a hike around midday along the West Canyon Trail. When on the hike, scout leader Luke Lunnin said they encountered a washed-out river and bridge — and three teenagers on the other side shouting frantically."

  • 'A deeper dive into giving': Southcentre Mall installation highlights hardships for Giving Tuesday (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY #LoveThis "A new installation unveiled at Southcentre Mall on Tuesday offers shoppers a look into the lives of the many Calgarians who are struggling behind closed doors. The installation, entitled 'See the Need' — created by United Way of Calgary and Area — features a life-size home facade with a door that, when opened, gives visitors a glimpse into the hidden struggles within their communities, from poverty to mental-health challenges to family violence and abuse."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment grocery stores held dance parties in Winnipeg and Calgary (CBC) CANADIAN STORY More dancing please. "Joanne Roberts tells The National about the moment she attended a party in a grocery store that brought her closer to her community."

  • VIDEO: #TheMoment firefighters freed an eagle stuck in a tree (CBC) SQUAMISH STORY #Heroes "Tim Cyr tells The National about the moment he and the Squamish Fire Department helped free an eagle that had a wing stuck in a tree."

  • Endangered barn owl makes 'extremely rare' appearance in Calgary (CBC) CALGARY STORY I love owls. "As a wildlife photographer, Brendon Clark sees his fair share of owls, but one recent sighting left him speechless. 'I just thought my mind was kind of playing a trick on me,' Clark said. 'I saw the black eyes and the beak of a barn owl. I couldn't believe it.'"

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: Canada’s weather warning system has changed. Here’s how (CBC) CANADIAN STORY I know, I know. This is REAL news :-) You're welcome. "Environment and Climate Change Canada has changed its weather warning system across the country. General watches and warnings are being replaced with a colour-coded, risk-tiered system so you have a better idea how the forecast will impact you and how you should prepare."

  2. Azizi, beloved lion at Moncton zoo, remembered as gentle prankster (CBC) MONCTON STORY RIP Azizi. We will not see your like again. "The lion was suffering from arthritis and scoliosis due to aging, zoo director Selina Cowman said during an Information Morning interview. Azizi was receiving special care, she said [...] Azizi [was a] lazy big cat who spent a lot of time beside his female companion, Amara. He said he could often be heard roaring loudly early in the morning."

  3. VIDEO: How Dancing with the Stars made all the right moves with Gen Z (CBC) Someone has cracked the marketing code for Gen Z -- take note. And, BTW, Dancing with the Stars is awesome. "Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars has come to a close, with 21-year-old wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy at the end of Tuesday night's finale. But before the celebratory confetti rained down, it was already clear that the show had won in its own right. With an all-time high of 72 million votes cast during the finale alone, the show has officially fox-trotted, cha-cha’d and jived its way back onto the screens and into the hearts of more fans than ever before — thanks in part to vested interest from a new generation. Now in its 20th year, the ballroom dancing competition has seen its ratings climb with each episode this season and broken its record for most votes received multiple times. According to Variety, last week’s semifinal had the best performance among viewers aged 18-34 in a decade."

  4. Why nonalcoholic spirits go from strength to strength (The Guardian) "It’s time to start thinking about the C word. You might well already have plans to stock up for house guests who are drinking, but what about those who aren’t? It’s a good opportunity to think about how we might jazz up our non-alcoholic offering for friends and family who are trying to drink less, or not drinking booze at all. Sometimes, your friend will just want a Fanta, but I don’t like being the one to offer it to them. We can do better than that."

  5. VIDEO: Ultrasonic device dramatically speeds harvesting of water from the air (MIT) Brilliant! "Feeling thirsty? Why not tap into the air? Even in desert conditions, there exists some level of humidity that, with the right material, can be soaked up and squeezed out to produce clean drinking water. In recent years, scientists have developed a host of promising sponge-like materials for this 'atmospheric water harvesting.' "

  6. Scammers steal Calgary Foundation brand, target personal info and money (Future of Good) CALGARY STORY Eeek! "The Calgary Foundation has warned of an ongoing scam that is using its name, logo and branding. 'We have recently been informed of a scam targeting individuals in Canada and the United States, falsely claiming to represent the Calgary Foundation,' the organization wrote in an announcement. 'These scammers are using our name, logo and fabricated contact details to offer fake grants in exchange for personal information and money.' "

  7. TD Bank pulls sponsorship of CTrain free fare zone 2 years early (CBC) CALGARY STORY Not the best news. "TD Bank says it has ended its sponsorship of the free fare zone between the City Hall and Downtown West/Kerby CTrain stations in Calgary's downtown core about two years early. But the mayor says that doesn’t mean the zone itself is coming to an end."

  8. VIDEO: San Diego Zoo's oldest resident, a Galapagos tortoise believed to be about 141, dies (CBC) Farewell old friend. "The oldest resident of the San Diego Zoo has died, far outliving anyone who ever cared for her, guaranteed. Galapagos tortoise Gramma was born in her native habitat and was estimated to be about 141 years old at her death, zoo officials said. She died on Thursday."

  9. VIDEO: Prestigious Chicago beer brewing school relocating to Montreal amid U.S. regulatory changes (CBC) MONTREAL STORY "A prestigious beer brewing school in Chicago — the oldest in the Americas — is moving to Montreal citing regulatory changes in the United States, and the relocation is drawing attention locally. 'Everybody in the industry probably knows about the Siebel Institute,' said Julien Savoie, head brewer at Brasserie Boswell in Montreal Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. 'It’s one of the only schools in North America that offers classes on brewing.' "

  10. VIDEO: Joni Mitchell and Nelly Furtado to receive special honours at the 2026 Juno Awards (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Joni Mitchell and Nelly Furtado will be honoured at the 55th Juno Awards, next March in Hamilton. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CBC announced [...] that Mitchell will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Arts Centre, and Furtado will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the 2026 Juno Awards, which are set to take place at Hamilton's newly opened TD Coliseum."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. How to Waste a Morning (Properly) (The Aperitivo Pages) My wife says this sounds just like me. I take that as a badge of honour.

  2. Fiber is something most people could use more of. But experts advise caution with ‘fibermaxxing’ (AP News) I need more fiber. But not too much.

  3. Nat Geo drops 'extraordinary' photos for 2025 'Pictures of the Year.' See the images. (USA Today) Stunning, as always.

  4. The Rise of the “Man Purse” (Sharp Magazine) I have used a man purse (sometimes called a mag or a murse) for over two decades -- it is so much better than a wallet.

  5. The Pirate’s Guide to AI Image Prompting (Tortuga Media) I am pretty good at AI but image prompting is something I need to brush up on. LANGUAGE WARNING

  6. VIDEO: TT 557: The Greatest Jazz Piano Albums of All Time (Transitional Technology) This is a rabbit hole worth going down.

  7. VIDEO: How to shovel snow without landing in the emergency room (Popular Science) 'Tis the season.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: Royal Canadian Legion $1M donation to support PTSD research at University of Alberta (Global News) EDMONTON STORY This is a great use of these funds. Well done. "More than $1 million from the Royal Canadian Legion’s poppy fund will be going to the Heroes in Mind Advocacy and Research Consortium (HiMARC) at the University of Alberta. The legion’s AB-NWT command calls it the 'largest donation (it’s) ever made.' "

  2. BRHC Foundation receives $1-million donation from Gord & Diane Peters (Q Country FM) BRANDON STORY "The Brandon Regional Health Centre (BRHC) Foundation says in the true spirit of giving this holiday season, it’s received a 'transformational $1 million donation from longtime Westman residents and community champions, Gord and Diane Peters.' "

  3. VIDEO: Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation receives $50M donation (YouTube) TORONTO STORY Thank you Mr. Gilgan, again. "A $50-million gift from philanthropist Peter Gilgan will create the world's largest research centre, focusing on early cancer detection."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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