to this week's meeting of
The Rotary E-Club of Canada One
For the week beginning February 16, 2026
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to this week's meeting of
The Rotary E-Club of Canada One
For the week beginning
February 16, 2026
Scroll down to enjoy the content!
Complete the form for a make-up!
The Rotary theme for 2025-26 -
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Greeter this week
Rotarian Judy, our club president
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Inspirational moment
A Class Act –
HeroicStories by Catherine Granger Glover, North Carolina, USA
Each year, we carefully filled out "adopt a family" forms that asked each child's age, height, weight, favorite color and sports team, and desires. Thanks to various giving organizations, I didn't have to budget money for holiday dinners.
We often received very nice gifts for each child, but most were clothes or very generic items. My dollars went to finding a special gift for each (usually a thrift store, dollar store, or clearance item) that they would know was purchased just for them.
In 1991, my daughter was seven, and wished for a baby doll more than anything in the world. She knew Santa would bring her a baby doll, carriage, and all the tools to care for her baby. I found an inexpensive umbrella stroller, a cheap doll, and even some clothes and a bottle, but feared they would break quickly. She was thrilled, as were all the kids with their ‘big' presents.
Then it came time to open the charity gifts. There was more than one for each child, which confused us, but was fun. Each child opened what they expected to be a piece of clothing or a generic dollar-store toy. As the wrappings came off, whoops of pure joy resounded around the room, and I sat in stunned silence.
Each child had received something just for them! My daughter received a wonderful baby doll with a full set of clothes and everything to take care of it — bottles, diapers, bibs, etc. The boys each received a regulation-size ball and a correctly-sized team jersey for their favorite team. My nieces received ‘real' versions of the items they had asked for. There was even a present for me, a small photo album.
I don't remember the exact class that adopted us that year, only that it was from Springfield High School in Virginia. We don't know how they raised the funds to buy the presents, or why they adopted a whole family rather than just contributing gifts to a drive.
I only know that whenever Christmas comes around, I send my thanks out once again for that wonderful year. Sixteen years later, we still speak of the joy that class brought to our whole family. That year, not only were our needs met, but a caring respect for us as individuals was added.
Originally published as HeroicStories #747 on April 12, 2008
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Canadiana
Downtown Fort Saskatchewan (Source)
But no! It’s in Alberta! And it’s even further north than Edmonton!
Fort Saskatchewan is a city along the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta, Canada. It is 25 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, the provincial capital. It is part of the Edmonton census metropolitan area and one of 24 municipalities that constitute the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board.
According to Wikipedia, Fort Saskatchewan is known for its significant petrochemical industry (Dow, Shell, Nutrien), its rich history (NWMP fort, jail, Heritage Precinct), unique attractions like the sheep that graze downtown, extensive river valley trails, and a vibrant arts and culture scene at venues like the Shell Theatre. It's a mix of industrial power, historical roots, and community focus, near Edmonton.
In essence, it's a city balancing heavy industry with a strong sense of history, community, and green space, offering both economic opportunity and a good quality of life, notes Qualico Communities Edmonton.
Fort Saskatchewan Community Hospital (Source)
Over time, Fort Saskatchewan transitioned from a frontier garrison to a civilian settlement. It was incorporated as a village in 1899, became a town in 1904, and finally achieved city status in 1985.
Today, the city blends its unique historical roots with economic growth. Its river valley and heritage attractions — including the Fort Heritage Precinct, which interprets the early NWMP fort and prairie life — coexist with industry and a vibrant community culture.
With a steadily growing population, rich history, and scenic riverfront location, Fort Saskatchewan offers a compelling snapshot of Alberta’s past and present.
Notes:
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Comments/stories from our guests & members
Members and guests attending our weekly meetings are very important to us. Based on your comments we are able to produce many more educational, inspiring, and entertaining weekly meetings.
Would you please send us your comments?
February 10. Re The Peace Train. The story about Sharon Katz and The Peace Train in South Africa was incredibly moving. I just finished reading the novel "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi. It's a thought-provoking read that offers numerous insights into slavery, racism, and segregation. It takes you from the slave castles of Africa to the roots of abolition in the United States. Highly recommended!
-- Cynthia Dusseault, E-Club of Canada One, District 5370
-- Cynthia Dusseault, E-Club of Canada One, District 5370
February 10. Re Oscar Peterson. Last November Judy and I attended the Oscar Peterson Quartet at the Imperial Theater Saint Johns NB.
The quartet was started by The daughter of Oscar Peterson to preserve and-showcase his music. What a show it was!!
The quartet was started by The daughter of Oscar Peterson to preserve and-showcase his music. What a show it was!!
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Here’s another contribution from Rotarian Neil. Neil writes:
I am a trained military spotter and have participated on a few missions using the C130 Hercules aircraft.
With the brand new Kingfisher, I believe my job will be redundant and that is good news.
This new platform should shorten the search and facilitate a rescue faster.
Archived Meetings
- All meetings are archived. Click here to see a list and choose what you wish to view.
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Announcements
Safeguarding Linguistic Diversity
February 21 - International Mother Languge Day
Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet.
Yet, due to globalization processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether.
Yet, due to globalization processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether.
When languages fade, so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity.
Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.
Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage.
UNESCO estimates that there are 8,324 languages, spoken or signed. Out of these, around 7,000 languages are still in use. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.
Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
International Mother Language Day is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
International Mother Language Day is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
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A submission by Rotarian Cynthia
Rotarian Cynthia has requested that you all hear
“Run away to Mars"
Cynthia writes -
"This young man wrote this song during the pandemic, when he was going through a painful time. I think it speaks to what many young people felt at the time and perhaps still feel today.
"The first time I heard this song, I was moved by its message."
Thank you, Cynthia!
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Material Suggestions and Greeter Messages Always Needed!
Please feel free to forward an approx. 150 - 200 word message or any material suggestions in an e-mail, or in a Word document, along with a JPeg picture or two, to E-Club Administration Chair, Kitty Bucsko.
We'd love to hear from you!
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Just so you're aware -
Our Club's Ongoing Projects -
We provide ongoing support for the following projects:
Click the links below to find out more about each project!
And we're doing great!
Ask for more information if you'd like to be involved!
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Real-time meetings
Each 3rd Thursday of the month is our Fellowship Assembly, and we often invite interesting speakers or Rotary Leaders for this entertaining, educational fun event. Plan to join us.
The time is 9:00 a.m. (Mountain Time) in lieu of the weekly Coffee Chat except for July and August when there are no FA’s. Here is the zoom link:
Everyone is welcome to attend and we encourage your participation.
Please click our Event Calendar for details and access Link.
For further inquiries or suggestions please contact: info@rotaryeclubcanada.ca
All our videos can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
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How do you support our club?
- The Paypal button on our ClubRunner Home Page
- The donation button on the attendance form, or
- Make an Interac transfer to rotaryeclubcanada1@gmail.com
- Send a cheque to:
The Rotary E-Club of Canada One
14008 101 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5N 0K3
(780) 267 4547
Environment
🌼 Pollinator Gardens: A Small Project with Big Impact
Pollinator gardens are an ideal Rotary community project — practical, visible, and lasting.
By planting native flowers and host plants, these gardens support bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators that are essential to our food systems and ecosystems.
They’re easy to scale, welcome partnerships with schools or municipalities, and offer wonderful opportunities for public education.
They’re easy to scale, welcome partnerships with schools or municipalities, and offer wonderful opportunities for public education.
Best of all, they’re a living reminder that Rotary International cares for both community and environment.
Learn more:
• Pollinator Partnership: https://www.pollinator.org
• David Suzuki Foundation (pollinators & native plants): https://davidsuzuki.org
• Xerces Society (science-based guidance): https://www.xerces.org
Learn more:
• Pollinator Partnership: https://www.pollinator.org
• David Suzuki Foundation (pollinators & native plants): https://davidsuzuki.org
• Xerces Society (science-based guidance): https://www.xerces.org
Humour
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Rotary minute
When we think about peacebuilding, it’s worth asking: what skills are we actually passing on — right now?
Not through speeches or policies, but through how we listen, how we disagree, how we treat one another in ordinary moments.
Peace is learned quietly, by watching. And every respectful conversation, every ethical decision, every act of service becomes part of someone else’s understanding of how the world can work.
Peace doesn’t begin with agreements — it begins with example.
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Food for thought
So, enjoy – this article is truly “Food for Thought.”
Astronauts are members of a very elite club: As of 2025, only around 670 people have been to space, and fewer still have spent a significant amount of time beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Those who have had an extended stay in space tend to be crew members of the International Space Station (ISS), which has housed more than 280 individuals representing 26 countries since it became fully operational in 2009.
The life of an astronaut is full of adventure, drama, and a certain amount of glamour — but life in space still requires many of the same basic chores we have to handle here on Earth. Of course, without gravity’s assistance, even the most mundane tasks can become complex feats of engineering. Here’s how astronauts aboard the ISS adapt to some familiar chores while traveling at a speed of 5 miles per second some 250 miles above Earth.
Bathing
Water has always been problematic on the ISS, for a number of reasons. It’s heavy, so it comes at a premium in terms of shuttle resupplies; it doesn’t behave in microgravity; and it’s potentially dangerous considering all the electronics aboard the station. Bathing, therefore, is a tricky business.
In the 1970s, when NASA operated its first space station, known as Skylab, astronauts used a collapsible tube shower system. But this system took about two hours per shower, mainly because every water droplet had to be painstakingly collected after bathing. On the ISS, there is no shower — astronauts have instead returned to the old-school way of washing, as used during the Gemini and Apollo missions: a simple sponge bath.
They squirt small amounts of water and liquid soap onto their skin and use a special rinseless shampoo to wash their hair, then use towels to wipe off any remaining water. An airflow system nearby quickly evaporates excess water, preventing it from floating around the station.
Astronauts on the ISS maintain a strict cleaning schedule. The station isn’t a sterile environment, as each astronaut brings microbes from Earth that can potentially flourish on the space station. Cleanliness is therefore a serious priority in the confined environment, both to protect the people living there and the technology and ongoing experiments aboard the orbiting lab.
Each astronaut is assigned a regular schedule to wipe down surfaces with antimicrobial wipes, including kitchen areas and sweaty exercise gear. Vacuuming — using a surprisingly standard vacuum just like we’d use on Earth — is also important, especially for cleaning the filters and vents where dust accumulates. It’s a noisy process, but at least astronauts don’t have to worry about annoying the neighbors. In space, no one can hear you clean.
Taking Out the Trash
Astronauts generate about 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day, including packaging, paper, tape, filters, food containers, and personal hygiene items. Chucking trash directly into space may seem like the simplest option, but this naturally comes with obvious ethical, practical, and safety concerns.
Instead, astronauts have relied on a remarkably low-tech method of trash disposal. Crew members compress garbage with duct tape into bundles called “trash footballs,” which they later load onto cargo ships such as the Russian Progress or Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus. These ships then jettison the trash, leaving it to burn up during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
In 2022, the ISS developed a new, more efficient waste disposal method. By connecting a special waste container with a capacity of 600 pounds to an airlock, this system allows astronauts to store and dispose of larger amounts of trash. The whole container is launched from the station directly into Earth’s orbit, where it also burns up on reentry — with no cargo ships needed and no junk left in space.
Click here to learn about window cleaning, exercising, maintenance and repairs, and read the rest of this interesting article about spending time in space.
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JAMAICA
Called Jamaica’s storm of the century, Hurricane Melissa swept across the island in October, devastating southwestern coastal communities.
“Trees and power lines had fallen, roofs had been blown away, and some buildings had collapsed,” says Dominica Pradère, a past president of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay, one of the worst-hit areas. Two members’ homes were severely damaged, and all were left without electricity or running water for weeks.
“Once we were able to communicate, we began to explore ways to assist people whose situations were far worse than our own,” Pradère says. Club members provided relief packages to several communities, working in partnership with the Rotary clubs of Kingston and Ocho Rios, and ShelterBox and Food For The Poor.
“Fortunately,” Pradère says, “we have a network of Rotary friends and other organizations around the world who want to assist as we help communities and institutions to get back to normal.”
“Trees and power lines had fallen, roofs had been blown away, and some buildings had collapsed,” says Dominica Pradère, a past president of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay, one of the worst-hit areas. Two members’ homes were severely damaged, and all were left without electricity or running water for weeks.
“Once we were able to communicate, we began to explore ways to assist people whose situations were far worse than our own,” Pradère says. Club members provided relief packages to several communities, working in partnership with the Rotary clubs of Kingston and Ocho Rios, and ShelterBox and Food For The Poor.
“Fortunately,” Pradère says, “we have a network of Rotary friends and other organizations around the world who want to assist as we help communities and institutions to get back to normal.”
Dominica Pradère is a past president of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay in Jamaica, known for her active humanitarian work and international fellowship. She has been recognized for connecting Rotary clubs worldwide, visiting over 100 clubs via Zoom, and coordinating relief efforts in Jamaica following severe weather events.
Key details:
• Rotary Leadership: Dominica has served as president of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay.
• Rotarian of the Year: She received this award from the Rotary Club of Montego Bay for her extensive work and fellowship.
• Humanitarian Action: She played a key role in providing relief packages in Jamaica through partnerships with Rotary clubs and organizations like ShelterBox and Food For The Poor.
• International Connection: She has traveled to visit clubs, such as in the UK, to exchange banners and promote fellowship.
• Rotary Leadership: Dominica has served as president of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay.
• Rotarian of the Year: She received this award from the Rotary Club of Montego Bay for her extensive work and fellowship.
• Humanitarian Action: She played a key role in providing relief packages in Jamaica through partnerships with Rotary clubs and organizations like ShelterBox and Food For The Poor.
• International Connection: She has traveled to visit clubs, such as in the UK, to exchange banners and promote fellowship.
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Rotary Jukebox
For a small donation, your favorite musician will be featured on one of our next e-meetings for everyone to enjoy.
Click Here to send your request.
THIS WEEK - James Taylor/Stephen Colbert
And the second...
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The Four-way Test
To close the meeting, Rotarian Jim recites the Four-Way Test of the things that Rotarians think, say, or do.
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Program Donations
Our E-Club is a dynamic club comprised of ordinary working and retired people who acknowledge that Rotarians are people who are generous with their time and their resources.
Our club and the program you have just enjoyed, either as a member or a visitor, is funded only by donations.
We are developing ideas for fundraising with our members who are scattered across Canada, USA, Central America, and Europe, but we do need your help.
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