Latest news with #Laurier
CBC
4 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Laurier football coach will donate blood for the 60th time
Zach Scotto's first blood donation was an excuse to get out of school, but now, it's a tribute to his mom Loraine, who died when he was eight years old after a battle with leukemia. Now, the Laurier football coach is set to give his 60th donation on Aug. 6.
Ottawa Citizen
23-07-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
'I'm going to save a life': Ripple effect of a pioneering organ donor saves baby in need
Article content Gosling changed the system in which Canada is now a world leader — anonymous liver donations to strangers. The ripple effect of his act continues to change lives. Article content Article content Since his surgery, 150 people, including Goldberg, have donated part of their liver anonymously to a stranger through the University Health Network. The number often surprises people around the world, with some asking why anyone would take the risk of donating a part of their liver anonymously to someone they have no connection to. Article content Hospital officials have learned more about what makes people like Gosling and Goldberg tick — writing that anonymous liver donors are often super altruists who are driven by a strong desire to help others — even those they are not connected to. Article content That is something both Gosling and Goldberg understand. At separate times during their hour-long virtual conversation, they each articulated similar reasons for wanting to donate. Article content Article content 'If you could save somebody else's life, why wouldn't you?' Article content Goldberg did not set out to donate part of her liver to a stranger. Article content In late 2022, with both sons away at university, the Thornhill, Ont., resident felt she wanted to do something to make a difference in the world. When she received a request in the mail to consider donating a kidney, she was intrigued. Article content 'My kids at the time were both studying at Laurier, and I thought, 'Well, I'm an empty nester. I'm pretty healthy. Why not? What am I doing now?' ' Article content She did the initial testing and received a call six weeks later saying she was a match with a person in need of a kidney. Article content Goldberg became more excited as the potential surgery neared, but during the final stage of screening, a CT scan revealed a small irregularity in her kidney, which disqualified her from becoming a donor. Article content 'I was really devastated. It took me a long time to get over it because I knew I was being tested for one person. I was devastated for this person, even though I never met them.' Article content Article content Months later, Goldberg picked up a copy of the National Post and read a story about Gosling's groundbreaking anonymous liver donation and how the ripple effects of that act continue to be felt in Canada. (The story, 'The Gosling effect: How one man and his liver forever changed Canadian health care,' was originally published in the Ottawa Citizen). Article content She was fascinated by what she read. Article content 'I knew liver donation was a lot more invasive, but it sounded so attainable. (I thought) 'I could do this. Why can't I do this?' ' Article content She showed the article to her husband and then went on the website linked to the story and filled out a health and medical questionnaire. She received an automated reply that the information would be kept on file for a year. Article content A few weeks later, she received a phone call from a nurse in the program called her just weeks later to talk further. Article content 'Is this something you want to do? Do you want to continue with it?' she was asked. Article content When Goldberg said yes, a meeting with members of the hospital's transplant team was arranged where they gave her 'nitty gritty' details of the surgery and what to expect. Article content 'They didn't leave any details out. They pretty much were trying to scare me. Why would you want to do this? What are your intentions? This is the workup. This is what you have to do. This is the surgery,' she said. Article content When the surgeons asked whether she was still certain, she replied that she was 120 per cent in. 'I want to do this.' Article content After more tests and meetings with a social worker and psychologist, among others, Goldberg was told that she had matched with a baby in need of a new liver and that her surgery was scheduled for mid-January. Article content Article content When her mother asked her if she fully understood what the surgery involved, Goldberg said yes. Article content Article content Goldberg said she was more prepared for the surgery than she had been for childbirth. She knew what to expect day-by-day and was given frequent updates. Article content Her recovery was relatively routine, although it took time to heal and rest. She learned that the baby who had received part of her liver recovered well and was eventually able to return home. Article content And although she hadn't told many people about what she was going to do, her husband posted about her on social media, calling her an inspiration and soon members of her community, including her rabbi, were visiting, offering support and bringing food. Article content Article content Goldberg said she is proud of what she was able to do with the support of her husband and kids, and she wants more people to think about doing something to help others — not only donating a liver or kidney but blood or plasma donations, or even making sure their organ donation card is signed. Article content 'I want awareness. I want people to know that this can be done,' she said. Article content 'I don't know if this will be my mission for life, but if I can inspire people like Kevin inspired people, that would just be amazing.'
Vancouver Sun
26-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Jim Balsillie donates $5 million to Wilfrid Laurier University to kick start digital sovereignty
Jim Balsillie, the Canadian businessman and philanthropist, has donated $5 million to Wilfrid Laurier University for the establishment of a digital governance initiative to build economic resilience and digital sovereignty. 'The nature and the structure of the global economy and global security has shifted foundationally in the last 30 years in a degree and rapidity that's unprecedented in mankind,' said Balsillie in an interview. 'And if you want to be a sovereign and secure and prosperous nation, you need the capacity for navigating that on a front-footed basis. So, this investment is all about that.' In a news release, the university in Waterloo, Ont., said Canada needs to 'shape policy and increase productivity amid growing threats to sovereignty and security.' It said the Balsillie donation will go toward setting up a legal advisory centre that tackles international trade and technology governance, and establishing professional training programs and a proposed graduate degree that focuses on 'law, digital sovereignty and global technology governance.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'This is about building capacity to manage the expertise into these realms that are digital, whether it's AI, data, blockchain currencies, intellectual property, trade agreements, all of these things are the realms that this is contended, and Canada has had an eroding prosperity, it's had an eroding sovereignty because the terrain of protecting and advancing those is the digital realm,' said Balsillie, the former co-CEO of Research in Motion, the company that developed the Blackberry. He said the digital initiative is a 'natural addition' to the school, which is also home to the Balsillie School of International Affairs, a joint project of Laurier, the University of Waterloo and the Centre for International Governance and Innovation. Deborah MacLatchy, the president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier, said the funding will 'stand up' the work students and faculty are doing on the topic of the digital future. While figures aren't yet known, the university hopes to add faculty and more students because of the new research and educational initiative. 'We're hearing a lot from companies, from government, about their capacity needs, meaning that they just don't feel that they have all the internal expertise or the up-and-coming expertise of students and grad students who have experience in this area,' said MacLatchy. 'And this gift will really allow us to really take a take a run at this in a way that will be unique across the country.' The hope is that other Canadian universities will eventually follow Laurier's lead, doing more research and education in the area. The issue of digital sovereignty, said Ann Fitz-Gerald, director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs, is 'about taking control of a state or any organization's digital destiny and autonomy.' This includes not just corporate data security or intellectual property or cross-border data transfer but also issues of national security, Fitz-Gerald said. 'There's a big policy shift towards the intangibles from the tangibles, and we need to make sure policymakers worldwide, not just in Canada, have the knowledge and skill sets to operate in this space,' Fitz-Gerald said. So much of what happens in a modern society, from immigration to business to justice, happens in the digital world and is driven by data. And so Balsillie's donation, Fitz-Gerald said, will help position Canada and Wilfrid Laurier and the Waterloo region at the forefront of that economic, social and political revolution. Indeed, as data can be siphoned off by corporate giants to aid foreign economic development, Canada could wind up being a loser unless it builds expertise in digital sovereignty. 'The best way that I have come to be able to explain it is that we have had, for time immemorial, a policy orientation and governance structures that are fit for a tangibles world. We now live in an intangibles world,' said Fitz-Gerald. 'We want to be able to manage its development and have a real … say in its safe and responsible development, and the safety and responsibility relates to the preservation of our sovereignty and national security and prosperity.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Another Londoner to the NFL: Taylor Elgersma signs with Green Bay Packers
National team quarterback Taylor Elgersma of Laurier (18) runs through drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) (Butch Dill/AP)
Business Insider
10-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Don't let the economy ruin your summer
You're cutting back on big nights out, so you host dinner parties at home, springing for the fancy candlesticks and serving San Pellegrino. You're skipping the flight to Europe this summer. Wandering cobblestone streets comes with too much spontaneous spending; an all-inclusive cruise is the way to go. Kelsey Laurier, a 32-year-old in Atlanta, understands this mindset. She caters her online content to people who want affordable luxury. "People are tired of being nickel-and-dimed when it comes to certain situations," Laurier said. "I think when you pay for something that's already bundled, when you pay for something that you already know this is what it costs, I think it just feels better." A little bit of financial comfort might just hit the spot in today's in-between economic moment. People are still spending, and inflation cooled in April, but both sentiment measures have fallen due to the US's erratic trade strategy and last month's stock market roller coaster. It's not a bad time to readjust your budget for more predictable spending, even if you still want that luxury feeling. The answer? Clear, upfront prices. Paul Hardart, a marketing professor at NYU Stern, pointed to an idea called perceived value — how much you perceive an item to be worth, which may or may not align with how much it's actually worth. Bundles can have a big perceived value right now because they speak to that same comfort that Laurier mentioned. "Even hotels where breakfast is included, you are paying for that, but there is a perceived value that feels good," Hardart said. All-inclusive entertainment, vacations, and dinners If the early 2020s were all about YOLO spending, 2025 is an era of intentional budgeting. It's why concerts aren't selling out anymore, but Netflix earnings are strong. Airlines are cutting flights while cruises are doing just fine. The difference? The winners have fixed prices and a lower likelihood of unexpected costs. While spending has stayed strong, Americans have less of a savings cushion than in the immediate post-lockdown years. And there are signs their confidence is starting to crack. Consumer sentiment has been dwindling, falling 32% since January and hitting lows unseen since 2022. "I definitely think we're going to see a rise in people being more mindful of where they spend, and I think there's going to be more of a focus on delayed gratification versus instant gratification," Laurier said. Cheaper store-brand groceries, as well as thrift and discount stores, are having a moment. At the same time, though, consumers — especially younger ones — have gotten a taste of luxury. Laurier has noticed that Gen Zers, who grew up with social media, are very interested in more name-brand items and designer clothing, whether they have the budget for it or not. That's where affordable luxury strategies come in. Dinners out can add up; they may or may not include drinks, appetizers, and a nightcap. The affordable luxury version of that is a dinner party, where you can set a budget in advance and still feel upscale with a few choice items — sans pricey appetizers, an upcharged bottle of wine, and tax and tip. "People, even myself, are starting to splurge on higher quality foods as a way of it being a little luxury, because it is a very affordable luxury versus buying a handbag or something," she said. "You can go to a farmers market and get all organic food and make a good meal with high-quality ingredients." That idea can be applied to the bigger-ticket luxuries, like travel and entertainment. The appeal of the cruise, as Henry Wismayer writes for BI, is that you know what you're paying for — boats are generally all-inclusive, with some add-ons offered. That's a stark financial contrast from bopping around Europe and stumbling into a pricey café, or having to pay for transit to get around. Hardart, the marketing professor, said that companies, too, want predictability, and subscriptions are the way to go. Think Disney+ offering Hulu and sports, or Amazon Prime partnering with food delivery services. Of course, an actual recession would hit spending in much more profound ways. But while that's not guaranteed at the moment, Hardart said, "If you can't really plan your future, therefore, you're going to want to save more for the uncertainty that lies ahead."
