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Thank you to RPSCA volunteers!

Thank you to RPSCA volunteers!

River Park South
The River Park South Community Association (RPSCA) held its annual general meeting and the election of its board of directors on April 10 at the Louis Riel Library.
President Saumik Gupta highlighted the association's significant successes in actively fostering a stronger sense of community through a variety of well-received events, including the popular annual garage sale, the family-friendly Halloween and Christmas fun runs, and the widely attended Canada Day celebrations.
To ensure the continuation and expansion of this vital work and to broaden their positive impact on River Park South, the small but mighty volunteer board is actively seeking new members who support the vision of a community connected through engagement and events. Additionally, they are reaching out to local businesses to establish mutually beneficial sponsorship opportunities and are eager to welcome more volunteers who can contribute their time and talents.
Supplied photo
Thank you to the RPSCA Board — Saumik, Tara, Indrima, Courtney, and Toyeen — for their enthusiasm and commitment to building an engaged and well-connected community.
RPS residents can look forward to the return of the association's signature events, as well as exciting new initiatives currently in development, such as a summer run/walk, an alternative take on Christmas photos, and the continuation of their important program providing support to families in need through thoughtfully prepared hampers.
Valuable feedback gathered from a recent community survey has also paved the way for potential new projects. Survey respondents expressed interest in seeing the board explore the implementation of a community-wide clean-up initiative, investigate the establishment of a Neighbourhood Watch program to promote safety and security for all residents, and explore building a covered picnic area that would serve as a gathering space for the entire community.
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This work cannot fall on the backs of the board alone however, and so this is a call to action to show your support. Whether you have enjoyed the benefits of the RPSCA's events or are passionate about making River Park South an even better place to live (or both!), now is the perfect time to get involved and help shape the future of our community! Your participation, whether as a member, volunteer, or sponsor, can make a real difference and begins with the simple step of purchasing an annual membership for only $15. You can find the RSPCA on Facebook or email riverparksouthassociation@gmail.com
Thank you to the RPSCA Board — Saumik, Tara, Indrima, Courtney, and Toyeen — for their enthusiasm and commitment to building an engaged and well-connected community.
Sandy Nemeth River Park South community correspondent
Sandy Nemeth is a community correspondent for River Park South, a school trustee for the Louis Riel School Division, a director at Dakota Community Centre and president of the Manitoba School Boards Association. Email her at snemeth8@mts.net
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Palestinians say Israel and its allies fired on crowd near Gaza aid site. Hospital says 6 killed
Palestinians say Israel and its allies fired on crowd near Gaza aid site. Hospital says 6 killed

Winnipeg Free Press

time8 hours ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

Palestinians say Israel and its allies fired on crowd near Gaza aid site. Hospital says 6 killed

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians say Israeli forces and allied local gunmen fired toward a crowd heading to an Israeli- and U.S.-supported food distribution center in the Gaza Strip early Monday. Gaza's Health Ministry said six people were killed. The gunmen appeared to be allied with the Israeli military, operating in close proximity to troops and retreating into an Israeli military zone in the southern city of Rafah after the crowd hurled stones at them, witnesses said. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel recently acknowledged supporting local armed groups opposed to Hamas. The latest in a string of shootings It was the latest in a number of shootings that have killed at least 127 people and wounded hundreds since the rollout of a new food distribution system, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. 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I'm an aunt who chooses to be childless. Merchandise with passive-aggressive mom digs gets under my skin
I'm an aunt who chooses to be childless. Merchandise with passive-aggressive mom digs gets under my skin

CBC

time13 hours ago

  • CBC

I'm an aunt who chooses to be childless. Merchandise with passive-aggressive mom digs gets under my skin

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'Can't stop': Researchers say problematic smartphone use like an addiction
'Can't stop': Researchers say problematic smartphone use like an addiction

Toronto Sun

timea day ago

  • Toronto Sun

'Can't stop': Researchers say problematic smartphone use like an addiction

Published Jun 08, 2025 • 3 minute read In this photo illustration the app for Meta (formerly the Facebook company) is seen on a cellphone in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 7, 2025. Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images EDMONTON — Anita Hagh couldn't stop pressing the corner of her phone screen where the Facebook app used to be. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It was about five years ago, and she had deleted the social media platform from her cellphone. It was like muscle memory, she says, having clicked on the app countless times so she could scroll for hours through random online groups. She realized she had been losing out on sleep while scrolling and made the difficult decision to delete the app. 'After deleting it, I was very much thinking it was still there, kind of like a phantom limb situation,' said the 28-year-old post-doctoral researcher at McGill University's department of integrated studies in education. Hagh, who is researching the addictive nature of social media, said she believes she was likely experiencing what's called 'problematic smartphone use' or phone addiction. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jay Olson, a post-doctoral researcher in the University of Toronto's psychology department, led a 2023 global study that surveyed more than 50,000 people about their smartphone habits. He said it's an emerging problem. 'Normal smartphone use would become problematic when it starts negatively affecting your daily life and in different ways,' said Olson. 'It might make you feel depressed. It might be interfering with your sleep or your concentration.' Some young adults are showing symptoms of problematic smartphone use, Olson said, as they've never seen a world without phones or have spent most of their lives with the devices. 'Smartphones started to become more popular around 2009,' he said. 'A bunch of kids across the world got these phones. And so now we're starting to see what some of these effects might be.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's harder for older generations to understand the magnitude of the problem and how using phones can become an ingrained habit, Olson added. '(They) haven't grown up using smartphones and social media for the majority of their free time throughout the day,' he said. Venture Academy, a private school for troubled teens with locations in Barrie, Ont., and Red Deer, Alta., offers treatment for problems including 'electronic addiction.' Gary Su, a clinical therapist with the school, said in an interview from Calgary that smartphone use has made the lives of many of his young clients more complex. 'We are seeing a very unique phenomenon,' he said. 'Things seem to be a lot more volatile or more extreme. Kids are exposed to things just way too early for their age. And it's harder to trace, because everything online is anonymous.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said some students are using their phones so much they have difficulty socializing. Some don't leave their bedrooms for hours, because they're busy texting after school, he said. Su said phones stop others from spending time with their families, and online bullying has become rampant. Some are also sharing intimate photos and details at an earlier age, which continues to haunt them years later due to the permanent nature of the online world, he said. 'I see a lot of family just come in because of phone addiction or problematic phone use,' Su said. 'I feel for the parents. Most of us are not tech geniuses.' Problematic smartphone use hasn't been officially classified as an addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the reference book used by mental health professionals around the world. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There isn't consensus among researchers right now,' said Olson, adding it's because the problem is so new. However, he said there is some agreement that problematic smartphone use shares similarities with different behavioural addictions. 'So often people report this compulsion, like when they wake up, they have to check their phone right away,' Olson said. 'They can't stop themselves.' Su said some of his patients could be classified as phone addicts. 'Addiction is when you are doing something that you know has negative consequences and you can't stop yourself from using it,' he said. 'I see a lot of youth I work with fit in that category. I tend to not label it, because labelling is not doing any good.' Olson said there needs to be more discussion about smartphone habits. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cellphone bans in schools across Canada are a good start, Olson added, but more needs to be done by governments, such as putting age limits on social media platforms. 'I certainly think that it's an important contributor to this decline in mental health that we're seeing,' he said. Hagh said she's keeping track of her phone habits, as she's still on social media for her research. 'It is very addicting. These platforms have been optimized to capture as much attention … and arguably create an addiction. 'It's kind of like having to watch a train crash or a car crash,' she added. 'You just can't look away.' Sports Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists World

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