We’ve got the goods for you.
From Halloween candy chutes for charity to the Indigenous ethos that can help us all get through those long winter days, we have compiled some of this week’s best good news stories from thestar.com.
1. Forget ‘friluftsliv’: Why we should be looking to Indigenous scholars, not Scandinavians, this COVID-19 winter
Focusing on the rhythms and patterns of nature — and drawing meaning from them — is just one of the simple things Indigenous scholars suggest people can do to help get through the long, dark days of winter and isolation during this pandemic.
2. ‘That is beautiful, man.’ Actor Jon Cryer thrilled to get his wedding ring back thanks to Vancouver jewelry sleuth
Actor Jon Cryer had been walking to meet some castmates when he pulled a hand out of his pocket and heard a tiny “ping,” he wrote in a Twitter thread. He walked a few more steps before he realized what had happened. His wedding ring? Gone.
Enter former professional soccer goalkeeper Chris Turner. Luckily for Cryer, Turner’s big saves these days involve rings.
3. This Toronto plumber is selling candy chutes for Halloween to raise money for the Daily Bread Food Bank. The demand has been overwhelming
The idea of creating candy chutes came to him a few weeks ago when he read a story about a man in Ohio who created one as a means to distribute candy to kids during Halloween while safely observing physical distancing guidelines. When he put out a call over the Thanksgiving weekend, the community response was swift and overwhelming. He had to stop the requests after 400.
4. Meet the 20-year-old Toronto woman who’s become a star during the pandemic — playing chess on Twitch
While we wait for “We the North” to get back on top, we can still root for Toronto on Twitch, since one of the platform’s best-known chess stars, 20-year-old Nemo Zhou, lives right here in the city. Zhou has been playing chess since she was three years old, a bona fide prodigy.
5. She set out to open an inclusive community-focused cannabis store. After 10 months of delays, her spot is finally opening
It took 10 months — but GreenPort Cannabis has received a retail store authorization and can finally open its doors to the public. Wilson’s aim is to establish an inclusive community-focused cannabis retailer in Toronto.
6. Artists paint 25 murals to demonstrate their ‘Neighbourhood Love’ in support of Etobicoke resident whose garage garnered hate mail
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, 20 artists took part in what they called a “street-level demonstration of love” by painting 25 murals on garage doors, utility boxes, front doors, garden walls and mailboxes of homes near The Queensway and Royal York Road.
7. ‘When I taste savoury, it’s home:’ Los Angeles man asks for Newfoundland seasoning, Twitter delivers
A Newfoundlander in Los Angeles gave thanks for a savoury saviour after tucking into a holiday dinner made possible by the magic of social media.
8. Pumpkin weighing 2,350 pounds wins California contest
Being cooped up at home due to the pandemic paid handsomely for a Minnesota horticulture teacher who used the extra time to constantly water and feed a massive pumpkin that won this year’s Half Moon Bay pumpkin contest.
9. Toronto company makes canned seafood in the European tradition
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Just in time for Round Two of hunker-down-with-comfort food, there’s a new canned seafood option in town: Scout Canning, a Canadian venture that promises to change the way we look at a tuna sandwich.
10. ‘Discovery by little Nathan’: 12-year-old makes fossil find in southern Alberta
Aspiring paleontologist Nathan Hrushkin speaks with pride about his “killer resumé.” The Grade 7 student from Calgary discovered a rare dinosaur skeleton earlier this year at Horseshoe Canyon in the Badlands region of southeastern Alberta.