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In the News: Breaking Down the Body Language of the 2019 Federal Election Leaders, CBC’s Battle of the Blades, Buying a Car, and More!

In the News: Breaking Down the Body Language of the 2019 Federal Election Leaders, CBC’s <i>Battle of the Blades</i>, Buying a Car, and More!

Our expert speakers were busy in October! Here’s a round-up of some select media coverage this month that covers a range of topics, from personal finance to the 2019 Federal Election, estate planning and CBC’s Battle of the Blades.

Preet Banerjee | Behavioural Finance Expert

Finance expert Preet Banerjee joined Global’s The Morning Show to talk about how much Canadians are going in to debt just to pay for a car, and how much you should realistically be spending.

Mark Bowden | Expert in Body Language, Human Behavior, and Communication

Watch Mark Bowden break down the body language displayed during the English-language debate prior to the 2019 Federal Election.

Erin Bury | Technology and Marketing Expert | Start-Up Fanatic

As the co-founder and CEO at Willful, an online estate planning platform, Erin Bury was featured in Canadian Lawyer about how new technologies are revolutionizing estates law.

“Being a millennial who used a lot of text-driven apps, [my husband] just wondered why the estate-planning process hadn’t been touched by technology and was still being done the same way as it had been 50 years ago,” [Bury] says.

The original plan for the app was to address a person’s death-related interests outside of the scope of a will — such as funeral wishes, subscriptions, online subscriptions and other aspects of a person’s digital footprint, she says. But research led them to find that people didn’t want to think about their own death and the “must-have” was the will creation itself. They launched the will-making app Willful in May 2017. It began in Ontario, has since expanded to five provinces and Bury says they plan to reach across Canada by 2020.”

She also shared her expertise in marketing with Successful Meetings, giving her opinion on what event swag is worth spending your budget on.

“Just because an item is free doesn’t mean it’s desirable or useful, and handing out 100 pens doesn’t necessarily mean exhibitors with convert conference-goers into customers or users,” says Erin Bury, CEO and co-founder, Willfull, an estate planning firm. “We need too ask how we are creating value through the items and gifts we provide.”

Michael “Pinball” Clemons | Canadian Sports Hall-of-Famer | Founder, Pinball Clemons Foundation

Former star CFL player Michael “Pinball” Clemons has been named the general manager of the Toronto Argonauts. He previously played for the Argos for more than a decade and was the head coach for seven years.

“This season has made it clear that this team is lacking the identity and culture that have brought a record number of Grey Cups to Toronto and change was necessary to put the Argos back on the path to a championship,” said team president Bill Manning.

“Michael Clemons is the Toronto Argonauts personified and bleeds double blue. His passion for this team and this city, and his championship pedigree, will have a profound impact on the direction of this team moving forward.”

Mike Downie | Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker | Co-Founder, Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund

Two years after the death of his brother, Mike Downie hosted a recreation of Tragically Hip Frontman Gord Downie’s Secret Path concert. The benefit concert took place in Toronto and was performed by multiple artists. Proceeds went to the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund to promote reconciliation.

Rick Hansen | Man In Motion | Champion for Accessibility and Inclusion

CTV News spoke with Rick Hansen before the 2019 Federal Election on his disappointment about the lack of conversation around accessibility.

“There is a lot of disappointment that a lot of people with disabilities haven’t been fundamentally included and/or addressed during this election campaign,” he told CTV News.

“Accessibility is a big deal for Canada and they really should be thinking about what it means from a values point of view, from a human rights perspective, but also from an economy and cultural value proposition.”

Sheldon Kennedy | Former NHL Player | Author of Why I Didn’t Say Anything

Sheldon Kennedy is the fifth season winner of CBC’s Battle of the Blades! He skated alongside ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver, and the duo raised $100,000 for their chosen charity, Canadian Tire Jumpstart.

“‘This was a journey; I remember the first day, Kaitlyn and I had a conversation about how we needed to show people hope, we needed to inspire people. If you’re in a dark place, you can come out of that, and that’s what I’m so grateful for,’ Kennedy said in a news release.

Accepting the challenge to become a Battle of the Blades competitor came ‘at a point in my life where I needed to have some fun,’ he said.

‘People [who] have been abused, sometimes they never believe that there’s a way that they can feel better, that they can smile again or that they can do things that they may dream of.’

‘The reality is, we can have fun. There is a way out and this is about hope.’”

Bob McDonald | Host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks

With the release of his new book, An Earthling’s Guide to Outer Space, Bob McDonald has been on a promotional tour speaking at festivals and joining morning talk shows.

The Vancouver Sun spoke to him prior to his appearance at the Vancouver Writers’ Fest to talk about what readers can expect to take away from his science book.

Q: You subtitle is “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Black Holes, Dwarf Planets, Aliens and More.” What’s the more part?

A: There are 31 chapters in the book, each devoted to a different topic, ranging from becoming an astronaut, to junk in space and how telescopes work, so there is much more to explore than the title suggests.

He also joined Global’s The Morning Show to answer all our burning scientific questions.

Sheila Watt-Cloutier | Environmental, Cultural, and Human Rights Advocate

Writing an opinion piece for The Globe and Mail, Sheila Watt-Cloutier explores the dramatic climate changes in the Arctic and explains why if we protect the Arctic, we can save our planet.

“The frozen permafrost that used to serve as a reliable foundation is destabilizing homes and other structures. As the coastline erodes, buildings have cracked and fallen into the ocean like a scene out of a sci-fi thriller. Sadly, this is not a movie.

In order to arrest this dangerous trajectory, the world has to take note of what is happening in the Arctic – because what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. It’s the planet’s air conditioner, and as it melts, it causes havoc on the world.”

Podcast

Marnie McBean, O.C. | Three-Time Olympic Gold Medallist | Specialist in Athlete Prep and Mentoring to Olympic Teams

Marnie McBean joined CBC’s podcast “Players Own Voice” to talk about her new role as Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and her understanding of Olympic sport culture.