'Epitome of dedication'
Graduating at the top of her class wasn’t something Victoria Henriksen ever thought was possible.
After all, she was a high school drop-out and former drug addict.
But, on June 24, the bubbly 25-year-old showed anything is possible with hard work and a desire to change one’s life around.
“If you told me two years ago that this is where I’d be today, I’d have laughed in your face to be honest,” the 2020 Adult Windsor High School class valedictorian tells SaltWire's Carole Morris-Underhill.
Read her inspiring story here.
Equitable health care
When a baby is born, a health-care provider uses a test, called the Apgar test, to assess whether the baby is doing well. Within minutes of the baby's birth, the test evaluates several criteria, including skin appearance, heart rate and reflexes.
A newborn's test result is part of an initial assessment that determines whether medical intervention is required and influences the choice of a care plan appropriate for the baby.
“The normal for a skin colour finding is considered to be pink, which is not always the presentation for darker skinned babies,” says Keisha Jefferies, registered nurse and PhD candidate at Dalhousie University.
Jefferies says it's a problem when a test that's widely used by doctors, nurses and midwives doesn't take into account people of colour. But it's not the only medical practice that fails to do that.
The Chronicle Herald's Nebal Snan looks into why teaching cultural competence is important in health care.
Revving up
COVID-19 knocked the blocks out from under auto sales in Atlantic Canada but buyers came roaring back in June.
One reason was obvious.
"A lot of pent-up demand," Kim Day, president and chief operating officer of the Steele Auto Group in Halifax, tells SaltWire's Terrence McEachern. “A lot of people wanting to get out again and experience normal life.”
COVID-19 closed showrooms in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, but those in Nova Scotia were allowed to stay open. The company has 41 dealerships in the four Atlantic Canadian provinces.
Statistics Canada figures show Atlantic Canadian car dealerships sold just 6,676 vehicles in March and April this year. That’s down from 16,520 in the same two months last year.
Find out more about why vehicle buyers got behind the wheel of some new rides this month.
Immigration helps build the Rock
When it comes to helping Newfoundland and Labrador's economy, what does multiculturalism have to offer? Apparently, quite a lot, reports the Telegram's Andrew Robinson.
A panel discussion Thursday morning, part of the Association for New Canadians' annual Diversity Summit, shined a spotlight on how diversity improves the sustainability of businesses and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Economist Tony Fang said newcomers are eager to start businesses and contribute to the local economy, and given Canada is a trading nation, the presence of people from other cultures can help broaden international opportunities for doing business.
"It also can make this province a little more interesting. Just think about different kinds of foods ... Different kinds of culture — music, festivals," Fang tells Robinson.
Drive-in diplomas
Around 270 students from the graduating class at Colonel Gray High School in Charlottetown, P.E.I., attended a unique graduation ceremony on this week.
Restrictions around indoor gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic forced the grads to gather outside at the Brackley Drive-In to celebrate the end of their secondary school careers.
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