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'Resurgence of WAGs': Sport researchers say spouses of athletes growing in popularity

'Resurgence of WAGs': Sport researchers say spouses of athletes growing in popularity

Article content
The woman behind the venture, seen at the event clad in a glittery pink dress, is Lauren Kyle McDavid, the wife of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
'To have this star's wife putting money into our city and investing in our city is really special,' said Quinn Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Edmonton Downtown Business Association and a former sports reporter.
'Everything is kind of buzzing now in downtown.'
Kyle McDavid was not immediately available for an interview, but she is one of several modern WAGs — an acronym for wives and girlfriends — making names for themselves.
Judy Liao, who teaches sociology of sport and gender studies at the University of Alberta, says the buzz Kyle McDavid's business has been getting online shows how much of an interest people take in the lives of athletes' significant others.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, sports wives saw their social media followers go up as they began posting more, Liao says. The popular streaming service Netflix has also created shows following the lives of WAGs in recent years.
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Canadian Public Sector Under Pressure: New Unit4 Research Highlights Rising Need for Modernized Back-Office Systems
Canadian Public Sector Under Pressure: New Unit4 Research Highlights Rising Need for Modernized Back-Office Systems

Cision Canada

time9 hours ago

  • Cision Canada

Canadian Public Sector Under Pressure: New Unit4 Research Highlights Rising Need for Modernized Back-Office Systems

Survey finds 66% of Canadian public sector leaders doubt their digital strategies will deliver needed interoperability as efficiency and data integration pressures mount TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2025 /CNW/ -- Unit4, a leader in enterprise cloud applications for people-centric organizations, today released its State of the Digital Nation 2025 research study. As Canadian public sector organizations grapple with rising demands for efficiency, sustainability and centralized oversight, the research, conducted by Vanson Bourne, reveals that outdated systems and data silos are undermining their digital transformation efforts. According to the study, 57% of Canadian respondents say their organizations need major improvements in data compatibility to achieve their goals. Meanwhile, two-thirds (66%) lack confidence that current digital strategies will deliver the interoperability required for smarter decision-making. "The message from Canada's public sector is clear: Modernization isn't just a goal but a necessity," said Greg Beaumont, Managing Director, Canada at Unit4. "Leaders face mounting pressure to do more with less, while legacy systems and fragmented data continue to slow progress. The path forward requires adaptable, integrated solutions that streamline operations and empower faster, more informed decisions." Transformation Accelerating, But Challenges Persist The study, which surveyed 400 public sector decision-makers across Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, and Sweden, showed that Canadian organizations are under unique strain. 37% report ongoing operational challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic's legacy (the highest rate among surveyed countries), while 31% cite national policy changes as a significant driver of transformation efforts. Key priorities emerging for Canadian public sector leaders include improving system reporting capabilities (59%), enhancing integration between platforms (53%) and delivering better user experiences (32%). Yet, 44% say their current back-office systems aren't delivering good value for money, highlighting a growing need for investment in more effective ERP solutions. Data Silos Block Progress The findings also point to persistent data management challenges. 57% of Canadian respondents say compatibility across applications and departments needs major improvement. With 88% stating that access to real-time data could have been easier over the past two years, there's an urgent need for tools that unify information and enable cross-departmental collaboration. Workforce Challenges Add Complexity Compounding the technology gap are workforce pressures. While 51% of Canadian organizations have increased their recruitment of technical talent over the past two years, return-to-office mandates are creating new hurdles. Only 66% of public sector organizations are now operating in hybrid or remote models, down from 89% in 2023. This shift risks limiting access to top technical talent at a time when digital skill sets are needed most. The Urgency for Action "The complexity of public sector transformation is growing, and so is the urgency for action," added Beaumont. "By embracing solutions designed for interoperability, user engagement and real-time insight, Canadian public sector organizations can turn these challenges into opportunities for long-term resilience." For more findings, read the full report. About Unit4 Unit4's next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions power many of the world's mid-market organizations, bringing together the capabilities of Financials, Procurement, Project Management, HR, and FP&A to share real-time information and deliver greater insights to help organizations become more effective. By combining our mid-market expertise with a relentless focus on people, we've built flexible solutions to meet customers' unique and changing needs. Unit4 serves more than 5,100 customers globally across a number of sectors, including professional services, nonprofit and public sectors, with customers including Southampton City Council, Metro Vancouver, Buro Happold, Devoteam, Save the Children International, Global Green Growth Institute, and Oxfam America. For further information, visit For more information, please visit follow us on Facebook: Unit4 Business Software, Instagram: @unit4global or visit our YouTube: Unit4 and LinkedIn page

A community of stalls: Why Edmonton loves farmers' markets
A community of stalls: Why Edmonton loves farmers' markets

Edmonton Journal

time10 hours ago

  • Edmonton Journal

A community of stalls: Why Edmonton loves farmers' markets

Article content On a Friday afternoon, Bountiful's parking lot is full. The Old Strathcona parking crunch is well known. The two 124 Street markets bring in about 10,000 visitors a week. It's clear that market culture is a big part of what it means to be an Edmontonian. Article content 'Farmers' markets do not make a lot of money,' said Kirsta Franke, director of the Wild Heart Collective and the founder of the 124 Street Grand Market. 'I didn't start the farmers' market because it was a money-making venture. I did it because I love my community.' Article content Each vendor may pay about $50 a day for a 10 feet-by-10 feet booth. But the organizers need to pay for the space, and for things like trash cans, tables and entertainment. Franke launched the Grand Market at 124 Street and 108 Avenue in 2012. It ran on Thursday nights and had about 20 vendors who were carefully selected. Four years later, Franke recognized that, to remain in the black, a second Grand Market a week was needed. And that goes on Sundays at 124 Street and 102 Avenue. Franke also administered the Al Fresco on 104 market which filled a gap Downtown during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Article content Article content Today, the Grand Market works with a network of 600 vendors. It runs Night Markets on Fridays that move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. They've been to Ritchie, Happy Beer Street and West Block Glenora. They run a market at Folding Mountain Brewing, located in between Hinton and the gates of Jasper National Park. And there's the Christmas Market at Fort Edmonton Park. Article content 'Our vendors trust us to lead them to places that will help their bottom lines,' said Franke. 'The vendors have been so good to follow us through the crazy.' Article content Franke said that farmers' markets bring visitors and vibrancy to the communities in which they are located. And that creates spinoffs for the brick-and-mortar businesses. To say that there isn't conflict between markets and the full-time shop and restaurant owners would be naive. Franke said that when the Grand Market opened, the presence of food trucks wasn't welcomed by all on 124 Street. But, at the same time, 124 Street is a 'food desert,' a term given to an area without grocery stores and fresh-produce options. Article content Article content She said that, more than a decade later, food trucks are seen simply as an option, and local restaurants are welcoming the people that the markets bring in. Patios are open, food specials are offered. Article content 'We want to be complementary to the 365 businesses that are there on the street,' she said. Article content But, when Franke administered the Downtown market, policies were brought in to prevent vendors from conflicting with the businesses in the area. That has been carried over into the Downtown Farmers' Market, which is now administered by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association. There are no coffee stalls or food trucks. Article content Article content The Downtown Farmers' Market has a nomadic history. It moved to the old GWG Building on 97 Street in 2019. The market's overseers declared bankruptcy in 2024, leaving vendors without a Downtown home. But the EDBA resurrected the market, taking it back to its roots. Article content Quinn Phillips, a spokesperson for the DBA, said that marketgoers were surveyed last year, and while the numbers showed that a lot of the shoppers were from Downtown or other central neighbourhoods, many were also coming from further off spots. So, the market has two purposes; it's a perk for those who live Downtown, and an attractor for those who don't. Article content 'It's really important to support Downtown as a neighbourhood, and to have people to think about Downtown as a neighbourhood,' she said. Article content The market regularly sees more than 50 vendors, and on the final Saturday of July, hit a high of 63 vendors. Because of LRT construction, the market can't be expanded onto 102 Avenue like it was pre-2019, but Phillips said there are talks about expanding into Michael Phair and Beaver Hills parks for the 2026 market season. Article content And, knowing that there are tensions between brick-and-mortar retailers and markets, the symbiotic relationship at Callingwood is an example of how it can work. The market is held at The Marketplace at Callingwood, a shopping mall with 65 businesses, including an anchor supermarket. But the market is supported by the mall's own tenants' association, which marketing director Raelene Coffey called 'a volunteer board of local business owners who are passionate about building community and supporting local entrepreneurs.' Article content Article content Coffey said the market has helped spur traffic during traditionally slow retail times. Article content 'The majority of the vendors have unique offerings, which encourages guests to shop both the market and the mall, making it a win-win for everyone. Sundays can be a quieter shopping day at the mall but when the market is operating, the place is bustling with visitors from all over the city. The smaller, mid-week market also gets great support from tenants, who enjoy the extra foot traffic and the chance to connect with new customers.' Article content Chyanne Lindgren, manager of the Bountiful Market, said that it differs from others in the province not only because it is indoors, but that it's open three days a week. It opened with the idea of being a business incubator, where those who have stalls get to keep them on a regular basis, and it allows them to dip their feet into the world of full-time retail. Article content Article content 'The vendors don't have to to pick up and leave at the end of the day,' she said. Article content 'Is it a viable way to make a living? No.' Article content When you first walk by, the display looks like those opulent perfume counters from a time when department stores were a thing. Bottles of red, gold and silver, sorted on shelves to attract the eye. On closer look, they're bottles of vodka, gin and whiskey, all from the White Lightning Distillery located near Barrhead, Alta. Article content But this display isn't found in a liquor store. It's at the Bountiful Market. White Lightning owner Richard Bogach said that 95 per cent of the distillery's sales come through 20 Alberta markets that are regularly staffed by four employees, plus a few pop-up shop appearances at festivals and weekend events. Article content In seven years, Bogach has yet to take paycheque from his venture; with federal excise taxes at $13.84 a bottle, provincial taxes at $2.40 a bottle, plus recycling fees and GST, the fees add up. Plus, he's competing in a world where some distilleries have turned to using neutral grain spirit rather than distilling the old fashioned way. He's competing against vodkas, gin and whiskeys from the giant multinationals 'with mass product and unlimited marketing fees' who dominate the liquor store shelves. So, if you can't win at the local liquor store, the market is a place where the small, local distiller can stand out. Article content 'It's a question of how do you get exposure?' said Bogach. 'Well, when customers come to the market they can learn about your product, they can taste it and see you're making a quality product. And that's something you can't do in the liquor store. Article content 'We are making some headway, but we're not there, yet. Is it a viable way to make a living? No. If I had a wife and kids, I'd be divorced.' Article content So, the farmers' market is a beginning, not a be-all and end all. Article content Franke said the biggest challenges facing farmers' markets is climate change. She said that over the past few years, more than a few market nights have had to be scrubbed because of choking forest-fire smoke. Weather issues are becoming more severe and frequent. Article content Lindgren said that Bountiful Market's busiest days are rainy days, and that's the advantage of offering a market that has a roof over its head. Article content Article content So, Franke has been searching for a spot north of the river that can host an indoor market. It won't just allow for the market to continue through the winter, but would be a contingency space on those days when the forecast calls for ugly conditions. Article content To be an approved Alberta farmers' market, it must be operated as a non-profit. In 2024, Edmonton led the province with 12 approved markets within the city limits. Here's where to find them, and when to go: Article content Old Strathcona Farmers Market 10310 83 Ave. NW Saturdays and Sundays Article content Downtown Farmers' Market On 104 Street NW Saturdays Article content Bountiful Market 3696 97 St. NW Fridays-Sundays Article content 124 Grand Market 124 St. and 108 Ave. NW (Thursday evenings) 124 St. and 102 Ave. NW (Sundays) Article content Callingwood Farmers' Market 66 Ave. and 178 St. NW Wednesdays and Sundays Article content Beverly Towne Farmers' Market 118 Ave. and 34 St. NW Tuesdays Article content Article content Century Park Market 10915 23 Ave. NW Sundays Article content Orchards Farmers' Market 4059 Orchards Dr. SW Second and fourth Mondays Article content Ottewell Artisan Farmers' Market 5920 93A Ave. NW Thursdays Article content South Common Farmers' Market 150 Karl Clark Rd. Saturdays and Sundays Article content Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market 2051 Leger Rd. Wednesdays Article content Public Market in Ritchie 7727 98 St. NW Tuesdays Article content Ardrossan Farmers' Market 60 First Ave. Tuesdays Article content Beaumont Alberta Farmers' Market 5303 50 St. Thursdays Article content Fort Saskatchewan Farmers' Market 10030 99 Ave. Thursdays Article content Leduc Farmers' Markets 4330 Black Gold Dr. Thursdays and Saturdays Article content Morinville Farmers' Market 9913 104 St. Sundays Article content Salisbury Farmers' Market 52337 Rge. Rd. 232, Sherwood Park Thursdays Article content Sherwood Park Farmers' Market 5000 Emerald Drive Wednesdays Article content Spruce Grove Farmers' Market 120 Railway Ave. Saturdays Article content St. Albert Farmers' Market 5 St. Anne St. Saturdays

New Purdue coach Barry Odom tries to make school's big investment pay off with dramatic turnaround
New Purdue coach Barry Odom tries to make school's big investment pay off with dramatic turnaround

Winnipeg Free Press

time12 hours ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

New Purdue coach Barry Odom tries to make school's big investment pay off with dramatic turnaround

Three years after playing for a Big Ten title, the Purdue Boilermakers are starting over. They hope to snap the FBS' second-longest losing streak at 11, want to prove last season's 1-11 mark was the aberration and are counting on a new coaching staff and a flurry of transfers to quickly restore the luster to the Cradle of Quarterbacks. It's quite a responsibility for new coach Barry Odom but he says he is already seeing progress. 'The habits are starting to show up,' he said early in summer camp. 'We're not making the same mistake two days in a row. We're seeing some physicality at the line of scrimmage, both sides, and that's good to see.' Odom knows the signs after putting UNLV's moribund program on the national map with the first back-to-back bowls in school history. This job seems equally daunting following a forgettable season. Purdue had the two worst losses in school history and was the only Power Four school with fewer than two wins. Before hiring Odom, athletic director Mike Bobinski promised to invest fully in the new pay-for-play college world and Odom has made it pay off. While some mainstays left, most notably All-American safety Dillon Thieneman, lOdom added an FBS-high 51 transfers and has 82 new players. Other programs have successfully navigated massive transitions and now Odom is trying to help Purdue join the list. 'The whole locker room, even with the fresh set of guys, we've all come together fast,' said running back Devin Mockobee, the Boilermakers' only returning starter. 'I think we're just a solid unit of guys, not just a bunch of individuals trying to play by themselves. So we talk about expectations, the expectation is to win.' Mock 4 Mockobee arrived on campus as a walk-on and earned his scholarship after breaking Purdue's freshman rushing record. Now Mockobee is chasing the Boilermakers career mark. He enters this season needing 534 yards to become the fourth 3,000-yard rusher in school history and 1,170 yards to surpass Mike Alstott (3,635) for No. 1 'It's about grit,' Mockobee said. 'It's about getting that extra yard when other guys aren't going to fight for it and doing that on a consistent basis.' Five for the show Five players were competing for the starting quarterback job including Odom's son Gary, a true freshman. Three transfers — Evans Chuba of Washington State, Malachi Singleton of Arkansas and Bennett Meredith of Arizona State — took snaps in spring practice. Ryan Browne made two starts last year and rejoined the mix this summer after playing spring ball at North Carolina. Odom said his decision ahead of the Aug. 30 season opener against Ball State would be based on several factors. 'We want to take care of the ball, move the ball, execute on third downs, score points,' he said. 'We want to play with mental strain, extra effort, toughness and competitiveness.' COVID hangover One lesson Odom took out of the COVID-19 pandemic was the importance of training players to perform at multiple positions. Back then, the defensive coordinator did it out of necessity because of the uncertainty who might be available. Since then, Odom continued cross-training players because he thought it made those players better. The schedule Schedule-makers didn't make it any easier this year for Purdue than last year. The Boilermakers open league play by hosting Southern Cal in Week 3. They visit No. 6 Notre Dame in Week 4 and after a manageable October have four brutal November games — trips to No. 14 Michigan and Washington sandwiched around a home game against No. 3 Ohio State. They also host No. 20 Indiana in the traditional season finale. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and

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