After two heartbreaking Olympic hockey losses for Team Canada, I spent some time this week looking for the silver linings in two silver medal performances.
Welcome to the 152nd edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a quote of the week. In addition to silver linings, this week’s edition looks at a cancer-eating bacteria, the U.K.’s ban on plastic wet wipes, and Ireland’s circular economy platform.
On my mind this week: Silver medals and silver linings
It has been a week since Canadians across the country got up early on Sunday morning to watch the men’s gold medal Olympic hockey final. I was on the east coast visiting Colleen so the 9 a.m. start was quite civilized for me. On the west coast, my daughter Laura had to get up at 5 a.m. to catch the game.
Canadians love our hockey. Passion for the sport is in our blood and nothing gets us more excited than an Olympic gold medal game.
Sadly, this time we didn’t get the result we wanted. Despite outplaying their opponents in every aspect but goaltending, our guys lost 2-1 in overtime. To make matters worse, three days earlier the Canadian women’s hockey team lost to their US rivals by the exact same score.
I’m the first to say that our society takes sports far too seriously. You could say it’s just a game, but to Canadians, this game was about more than hockey. It was a question of national pride. In light of the current state of Canada-USA relations, the hockey rivalry between our two nations is more heated than the 1970s Canada-Russia battles at the height of the cold war. Four years ago at the last Olympics, I wouldn’t have believed that relations between our two countries would have deteriorated to the point where they are now. But here we are.
Losing silver vs. winning bronze
As the players on the men’s team accepted their silver medals, sadness and disappointment was evident on their faces. This wasn’t the result they wanted.
In other sports, a silver medal is something to celebrate. But in a team sport like hockey, it’s hard to celebrate a silver medal when you’ve just lost a game that you poured your heart into. The paradox of losing a game to get a silver medal, and winning a game to get a bronze medal always feels unfair to me.
So while it’s not easy to look on the bright side, there are a couple of silver linings in the hockey results.
Nineteen-year-old phenom Macklin Celebrini shone throughout the tournament and shows the future of hockey in our country is bright.
Team Canada’s men showed more class in defeat than their opponents did in victory.
Other Olympic bright spots
In other sports, there were many bright spots for Team Canada in the Olympics including our women’s curling team capturing bronze by defeating their US rivals. Our men’s curling team took gold with a hard-fought win over world number one ranked UK. And our women defeated speed-skating powerhouse the Netherlands to take gold in the speed skating team pursuit.
As for hockey, I have faith that Canada will return to Olympic hockey glory in 2030. Or perhaps sooner at the World Cup of Hockey in 2028.
Like a phoenix, we will rise from the ashes.
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Three highlights of the week
It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:
- I arrived home safely from PEI on Monday morning. It’s a good thing I escaped before the Nor’easter shut down all flights to and from the island on Monday evening and Tuesday.
- On Monday, we saw a pair of huge bald eagles in a tree while we were driving home from the airport.
- Friday was the latest instalment of the ABC lunch series with my high school girlfriends. We went to Scaddabush Italian Kitchen in nearby Guelph. I is for Italian!
Things I learned this week
Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:
Cancer-eating bacteria shows promise
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have identified a bacteria that eats cancer tumours from the inside out. Research shows they can inject the Clostridium sporogenes bacteria into a patient near a tumour. The bacteria won’t grow in blood, which is full of oxygen, but will take hold once it finds the tumour.
(Source: City News)
UK set to ban plastic wet wipes
The UK is targeting plastic wet wipes with a ban to take effect in 2027.
Although marketed as “flushable”, these wet wipes spell major trouble for sewers and waterways. Out of the 30 billion wet wipes sold in the UK every year, 25 billion contain plastics that persist in sewers, rivers and oceans for years. In fact, plastic wet wipes cause 94% of all sewer blockages in the UK, costing £200 million a year that is passed on to consumers on their water bills.
(Source: Happy Eco News)
Ireland’s circular economy platform
Ireland is leading the way in the circular economy with circular.ie—a national platform that connects individuals and organizations around circular change. The platform shares success stories, and amplifies community efforts to promote repair, and reuse.
(Source: Happy Eco News)
Quote of the week
I rarely agree with anything federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has to say, but in this case he nailed it.
Team Canada gave it everything, showed true grit to the final buzzer, and made all Canadians proud with their effort and heart. Keep your heads held high.
Pierre Poilievre
I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.
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The only sport I kind of follow is basketball, but as for the hockey game, all I’m going to say is that they won because the U.S. learned from the best in the world. Canada has 14 Olympic gold medals, and the U.S. has 6. So we have a long way to go.
That’s an interesting way to look at it Edward. Canada definitely does have a longer hockey legacy than the U.S.
Absolutely! I’m sure Canada is going to come back in a big way, just like the U.S. did when we didn’t win the Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
I’m delighted that the UK is banning wet wipes containing plastic, Michelle. In the part of the UK where I live, Wales, the ban comes in on 18th December 2026. Unfortunately, England is not banning the sale until the 19th May 2027, but at least it is happening.
It always seems like Wales is ahead of the curve on environmental issues, Hugh. I love it. I haven’t heard any talk of a ban here in Canada so the UK is definitely leading the way on this one.
That’s good to hear, Michelle. I hope Canada announces a ban soon.
I agree, olympic hockey was disappointing, the players all played their hearts out! It was disappointed Crosby was on the disabled list.
Curling between Canada & Britain was a nailbiter! Equally talented all the way around. Olympics are amazing! A cancer eating bacteria discovered locally! Funny but I have never flushed wetwipes and discourage others to not flush them! Gross gunk!!
Yes, it was unfortunate. The UK curlers looked about as sad about their silver medals as the Canadian hockey players.
I heard years ago that the “flushable” wet wipes were causing all kinds of problems with the sewer systems so I stopped buying them. It’s surprising no-one has banned them until now.
Lots of us, myself included, take sporting events too seriously. I agree that Canada outplayed the United States in the men’s game. Sports can be frustrating that way when you don’t get the result that likely should have happened. I know I’m not speaking for all Americans, but many of us disgusted and embarrassed by the actions of our President. Most of us have great respect for Canada and Canadians. It will likely be a long time to restorre relations between us and many of our allies the way it was.
The gold medal hockey game brought back memories of the Blue Jays losing the World Series last fall. So close, yet it wasn’t meant to be.
I have many good friends and colleagues who are American and the current state of things just makes me sad, Pete. I hope we will eventually return to the friendly, supportive and peaceful relationship we have always enjoyed.
The hockey games were heartbreaking but it’s the kind of national rivalry I can get behind – rather than the darker forces we’re seeing at play. I found the teams, especially the women’s team winners, were gracious. There’s always next time! 🙏
You’re right, Ab. There’s nothing wrong with a good sports rivalry. We have to keep things in perspective. It was nice that they acknowledged Auston Matthews at last night’s Maple Leafs game. And here’s to next time.
I’m sorry about the loss, Michelle. Heart breaking. Have you seen the research that shows that bronze medal winners are happier than silver medal winners? I believe the finding was that bronze medal winners tend to focus on being happy to have made the platform whereas silver medal winners tend to focus on not making gold. Love your conclusion that you’ll be back stronger in 2030. Yes!
So interesting about cancer eating bacteria. How cool is that?! And I didn’t know that about Wet Wipes. We don’t usually use them but now I know not to buy them!
Have a great week to come!
I have seen that research. It’s really evident in team sports like hockey and curling. You just feel the disappointment.
And yes, those wet wipes wreak havoc with sewers and septic systems. It’s great to see the UK leading the way in banning them.
Your thought about the Canadian men’s team…all class…yes. Yes! ❤️Thank you, Michelle.
Thanks Vicki. I wasn’t sure what kind of reception Team USA (and Toronto Maple Leafs) Captain Auston Matthews would get last night in Toronto when they acknowledged his gold medal. The fans were polite, but somewhat subdued. Auston himself looked a little unsure of what the reaction would be.
Enjoy your Sunday! 🤗
Polite…but subdued…mannerly, even? So refreshing from where I sit!
Xo! 😘
Ha ha. We are (mostly) polite Canadians. 😂🇨🇦😂
!!!❤️😉❤️!!!
It’s exciting to read about the cancer-eating bacteria! Thought I wrote a report about the same 20 years ago for high school biology… hopefully this one holds some promise and doesn’t fizzle out. While I don’t follow sports at all, I get being sad about the hockey loss… I know Canada is known for hockey, so it must have felt like such a blow for all Canadians.
Yes, as a cancer survivor, I am always encouraged and grateful to see these kinds of innovations.
I get it.
Cool.about sporting eagles!! Alas, not as sad as you are about silver….
I get it. At last night’s Maple Leafs game in Toronto, they celebrated the players who represented their countries in the Olympics. I wasn’t sure what kind of reception Leafs (and Team USA) captain Auston Matthews would get from fans when they announced him as Olympic gold medalist, but they were gracious. He looked a little sheepish, though. 😂